The time when NBA teams can start officially making offers to free agents on other teams is getting very close. The Los Angeles Lakers want to upgrade at the center position, and there are multiple routes they can go down in order to achieve that objective.
They can try to obtain a better starting center than Deandre Ayton, but if Ayton exercises his player option for next season, they could also look to acquire a better backup. As far as the second route, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype wrote in a recent article that the Lakers are expected to have interest in Jock Landale, a center who is currently with the Atlanta Hawks.
“Landale, 30, is expected to have a strong market, including interest from the Hawks, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers, and Cleveland Cavaliers, league sources told HoopsHype. Expect the Australian center to command offers north of the bi-annual exception in free agency.”
Landale, who went undrafted in 2018 out of Saint Mary’s College and didn’t make his NBA debut until the 2021-22 season, finally blossomed into a serviceable player this season. He averaged 10.6 points and 5.7 rebounds in 22.1 minutes a game, and he expanded his game by making 38.3% of his 2.8 3-point attempts a game.
He made $2.3 million this season, and the bi-annual exception is expected to be worth around $5.5 million, so perhaps he could be gettable at an inexpensive price point for the Lakers.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Lakers are expected to have interest in center Jock Landale
