The Los Angeles Lakers reached Monday’s roster deadline without getting the center help they had pursued. That should remain a priority even after their decision on Dalton Knecht.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Monday that Los Angeles was waiving Knecht. Marc Stein subsequently reported that the Lakers had been unable to find an acceptable trade before the deadline.
The missed opportunity matters. Los Angeles had been exploring a two-for-one deal to acquire another center, with Jericho Sims among the players it pursued.
Instead, the Lakers moved on from Knecht without adding anyone to the frontcourt.
That leaves JJ Redick with a reasonable offensive alternative to Walker Kessler in Sandro Mamukelashvili and another option in Kevon Looney.
What remains unsettled is whether those combinations can give Los Angeles enough defense and rebounding when Kessler sits.
The Lakers should test them. They should also keep looking for an upgrade.
Mamukelashvili has earned a chance, but the defensive question remains
Mamukelashvili supplied one of the strongest arguments for patience during the preseason. He averaged 13.4 points and 3.4 assists in 19.9 minutes per game while shooting 55.6 percent from the field.
That production gives Redick a reason to use him extensively. His passing and shooting create possibilities that a more conventional backup center would not necessarily provide.
With Mamukelashvili at center, Los Angeles can try to draw an opposing big away from the basket and give Luka Doncic or Austin Reaves more space to attack.
He can also help move the offense along after a defense forces the ball out of a guard’s hands.
Those are meaningful advantages. A backup lineup does not have to resemble the starting group to succeed.
But the offensive return has to outweigh what that lineup gives up. Making a defense guard more space is less valuable if the Lakers repeatedly surrender second chances at the other end.
Redick already identified the concern on Oct. 10, when he discussed using bigger wings in lineups without Kessler and stressed the need for better rebounding.
“I think in film it’s pretty apparent we need to do a better job of boxing out, just simple stuff and gang rebounding,” said Redick.
That is an execution issue as well as a personnel issue. Another center would not excuse missed box-outs, and Mamukelashvili should not be held responsible for every rebound his team concedes.
Still, Redick having to account for size elsewhere in those lineups shows why this decision affects more than one position.
Every larger wing used to support the backup center is another choice about shooting, ball-handling and perimeter defense.
Looney deserves a defined role, not an assumption
Looney gives the Lakers another way to approach those minutes. He averaged 5.6 rebounds per game last season, and dismissing his potential contribution before the regular season would be premature.
The relevant test is whether his rebounding helps the whole lineup finish defensive possessions while the group remains functional offensively. A useful stint against one opponent would not establish that he should play the same role against every opponent.
Redick should have room to choose between Looney and Mamukelashvili based on the matchup. The front office should want a stronger fallback if neither combination works.
That becomes particularly important if Kessler gets into foul trouble or misses a game. Covering his usual rest is one assignment; redistributing most or all of his minutes is a much larger one.
The Lakers should keep shopping without forcing a deal
There is a sensible middle ground between declaring the position fixed and paying too much to change it.
Los Angeles should give its current options a regular-season audition while continuing to pursue a center who improves its defensive margin for error. Simply acquiring another big man would accomplish little if he cannot offer a more dependable way to protect the basket and collect rebounds.
The early evaluation should focus on the non-Kessler groups: whether they finish stops, whether opponents consistently get to the rim and whether their offensive advantages compensate for any defensive concessions.
If those combinations hold up, the Lakers can be selective. If they repeatedly fail in the same areas, that is a reason to act rather than extend the audition indefinitely.
Knecht’s departure ended one roster decision. It should not end the Lakers’ search for help behind Kessler.
