The Los Angeles Lakers are pretty much set for the upcoming NBA season. Rob Pelinka has built his team around LeBron James, and they only need a couple of minor tweaks.
With that in mind, Pelinka revealed that they’re currently after a stretch big man, someone who can rebound and knock down shots. Notably, Christian Wood is currently the only free agent that checks both boxes.
Nonetheless, they don’t have enough money to sign him straight up, which is why NBA insider Marc Stein reports that there’s a chance they’ll have to do a sign-and-trade with the Dallas Mavericks.
Lakers Could Get Christian Wood In A Sign-And-Trade
“League sources say Dallas has not ruled out participating in a sign-and-trade deal that lands Christian Wood with a new team if it is presented with such a scenario,” Stein wrote.
“The issue for the Mavericks: They are already hard-capped and only $9 million and change away from hitting the NBA’s first luxury-tax apron, so it has been stressed to me that they would have to really like the player they receive in return to partake in such a deal,“ he continued.
That’s where it gets tricky for the Lakers. They don’t have that many tradeable pieces, so they might have to look somewhere else for that stretch big man they’re looking for.