As the Los Angeles Lakers search for someone to be a legitimate starting-level center for them next season, they will likely turn over every stone in their attempts to land such a player. That means they may have to go for one or two under-the-radar options.
One under-the-radar option who could work, at least to a certain extent, is Isaiah Stewart of the Detroit Pistons. He’s undersized at 6-foot-8, but he does weigh 250 pounds and has shown the ability to work the boards well and block shots.
JH Kubicek of Athlon Sports suggested a mock trade where the Lakers would give up rookie sharpshooter Dalton Knecht and 3-and-D forward Dorian Finney-Smith for Stewart.
Via Athlon Sports:
“Stewart is a starting caliber center provided there is spacing around him, which the Lakers have in spades with [LeBron] James, [Luka] Doncic, and Austin Reaves,” Kubicek wrote. “With the Lakers, he could rebound, block shots, and catch lobs, all things he excels at despite being undersized.”
Stewart averaged 6.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 19.9 minutes a game while shooting 55.9% from the field this season. Last season, he had shown some promise as a 3-point shooter by making 38.3% of his 3.8 attempts a game from downtown, but he was down to 32.1% on 0.7 attempts a contest from that distance this year.
Of course, Lakers fans will likely remember the fight Stewart got into with James during the 2021-22 season. If the team is to acquire Stewart, he and the future Hall of Famer will have to resolve their differences.
He may not be capable of being a true starting-caliber center on a championship-caliber team, but he could be one option further down on L.A.’s list.
Of course, this mock trade would create a big hole for it at the wing spot. Since arriving in a late December trade, Finney-Smith brought toughness, defense and reliable 3-point shooting to the team, and he was the type of 3-and-D player it had lacked for the last few years.