During a recent press conference prior to the team’s media day, Lakers General Manager Rob Pelinka addressed the elephant in the room of no offseason trades made, saying he’d be willing to move both future first-round picks if they led to “sustained Lakers excellence.” The Lakers also confirmed to Bleacher Report that adding a center remains a priority, which makes this latest rumor worth paying attention to.
Lakers Rumors: LA Inquired About Defensive-Minded Big Man
From the Big Apple to the City of Angels?
According to Sports Illustrated NBA insider Jakoba Reynolds, the Lakers have called the New York Knicks about shot-blocking center Mitchell Robinson.
#Sources from: @SInow — Surprisingly the Los Angeles #Lakers have made a call to the Knicks about; Mitchell Robinson, and the talk was mainly focused around Christian Wood and Gabe Vincent. No deal has been made, and there hasn’t been contact recently with both teams, per sources https://t.co/rAwF3TUUHY
— Jakoba Reynolds (@JakobaReynolds) September 30, 2024
The Lakers’ interest in Robinson is notable after the Knicks acquired former Timberwolves cornerstone Karl-Anthony Towns. When it comes to starting centers, KAT is clearly the new sheriff in town, leading the Knicks into a conundrum as to what they’ll do with Robinson. The 26-year-old big man averaged 5.6 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 1.1 blocks across 31 games (21 starts) last year—a mark that tied a career-low dating back to the 2020-21 season. Robinson underwent foot surgery in May and is slated to miss the first two months of the regular season as a result.
Would Robinson Fit on the Lakers?
Anthony Davis has long expressed a desire to play next to a true center and shift back to his natural power forward slot. However, the Lakers—whether it’s through trades or free agency—have been reluctant to grant his wish. The last time the Lakers paired Davis with a true five, it led to their 17th championship in franchise history. Ever since then, they have relied on AD thriving in the middle, investing in him instead of providing support around him. Acquiring Mitchell would alleviate many of the Lakers’ issues—even if it comes with a concerning history.
Mitchell would slide right into the two-big formula that gave the Lakers the “sustained excellence” Pelinka referred to last week. Though he’s an efficient center who thrives in the paint, he excels at protecting the rim and rebounding the ball—two areas that the Lakers wrestled with over the last few seasons.
Defense
Robinson protected the paint to a tee last season. He blocked 35 shots in those 31 games, a lower—but still decent—number compared to the 109 blocks attained in 2022-23. It was the fourth time in his career that Robinson passed the century mark in terms of blocks. He denied 161 shots his rookie year (2018-19), followed by 133 in 2021-22 and 119 in 2019-20. Robinson’s defense has always been solid, and pairing him with an arguable DPOY candidate would do wonders in the Lakers’ frontcourt.
Crashing the Glass
In terms of offensive rebounding—a point of emphasis by head coach JJ Redick—Robinson has particularly done well in that category. Last season, he grabbed a total of 263 offensive boards (3.9 per game) but grabbed an astounding 617 in 2021-22 (4.5 per game) and 555 the year after that (4.9 per game—a career-high). The Lakers, as a team, averaged 8.2 offensive rebounds per game—which was dead last in the NBA.
Although Redick has implored certain Lakers—especially Rui Hachimura—to work on crashing the glass in the offseason, Mitchell Robinson would be the team’s missing puzzle piece in that department. Adding Robinson—who stands at 7’0” and 240 pounds—next to Davis and LeBron James would greatly enhance the team’s presence on the boards, which is sorely needed if they want to keep opponents out of the paint and maximize transition opportunities.
Word of Caution
While Robinson can fit in seamlessly and is seemingly easy to acquire, there are valid concerns about his durability.
Throughout six seasons, Robinson has yet to play a full 82-game slate. He played a career-high 72 games in 2021-22—when he averaged 8.5 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.1 blocks on the year. Since then, he has dealt with a slew of injuries that have hindered his productivity and led to a decreased role. His latest surgery was the second procedure he had this past season, which would be a deterrent to many teams who had interest in him. For the Lakers and a handful of other franchises, that may not be the case, but they are still wise to tread with caution.
The Lakers have preached continuity, and as Redick knows, availability will play a key role in that. Giving up two players who are recovering from their own injuries is not the best bet for someone who will miss a decent chunk of the regular season—especially considering that Robinson’s ankle has plagued him for most of his career. And, before anyone asks, Mitchell Robinson is not worth those two first-round picks, either.
The Last Word
Pelinka may be right to evaluate the team in the regular season before negotiating any trades to meet the Lakers’ high standards. Mitchell Robinson could move the needle for the purple and gold, but it’s best to consider him down the line as opposed to right now.
