Following the recent Dorian Finney-Smith splash, the Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly setting their sight for a new trade priority as the 2024-25 season looms.
Per HoopsHype NBA insider Michael Scotto, the Lakers are vying to land a big man next in the market in which Jonas Valanciunas stands as their top target.
And in a potential deal, Gabe Vincent is presumed to be an asset that L.A. could utilize.
“Having acquired the wing defender they sought in Finney-Smith, the next item for the Lakers on their list is a backup center. The Lakers will continue to try and acquire Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas or another backup center on the trade market with their remaining future second-round draft capital, and Gabe Vincent is expected to be dangled in talks as well, league sources told HoopsHype,” Scotto wrote.
In their recent deal to acquire Finney-Smith and Shake Milton, the Lakers gave up three second-round draft picks (2027, 2030, 2032) as part of their package that contains D’Angelo Russell and Maxwell Lewis to the Brooklyn Nets.
By looking at their current draft shelf, they still have two second rounders available (2025 owned, 2025 from L.A. Clippers) These are just some of the minimal assets that the Lakers can use as minimal assets for future trades outside of their highly significant first-round picks (2029, 2031).
There’s been mixed belief on whether the Lakers will keep Vincent or not ahead of the Feb. 6 trade deadline, but the $11 million salary of the veteran guard is a considerable one for the team in order to execute another move.
As it is, it’s been well known around the NBA that the Lakers will chase after another big man to pair with Anthony Davis. Valanciunas has been a prominent name being tagged around them considering the Washington Wizards’ rebuild situation and LeBron James’s interest around the Lithuanian center since the past free agency.
It is yet to be known what would certainly be the next for them, but the Lakers can only be confident about their possibilities to land another major transaction following Finney-Smith. With plenty of pieces and salary-matching units like Vincent, Rob Pelinka still has plenty of ways to improve the team’s roster.
Should another huge deal materialize for them again, the Lakers couldn’t be more all in to go for a serious title hunt.
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