The first round of the 2025 NBA Draft came and went on Wednesday, and many trades were made across the NBA. But the Los Angeles Lakers didn’t make any moves, despite a decent amount of smoke in the days leading up to the draft.
Of course, there is still plenty of time for them to make a move to address their multiple roster needs, including their dire need for help at the center position. But with their limited trade assets, they may have to get creative and not merely aim for someone such as Walker Kessler or Nic Claxton, two big men they have been linked to.
These three big men could not only be more gettable for the Lakers but also have the ability to plug their massive hole at the 5.
Nick Richards
The Phoenix Suns, Richards’ current team, are set up to acquire Khaman Maluach, the potential-laden Duke University center who was the No. 10 overall pick, as part of the deal that will send Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets. They also agreed to acquire the Charlotte Hornets’ Mark Williams, the man the Lakers tried to trade for in February, for the No. 29 pick this year and a 2029 first-round pick.
That means the Suns will have at least three centers on their roster for next season, and of them, Richards could be the odd man out.
He stands seven feet tall and weighs 245 pounds, and he averaged 9.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in 22.0 minutes a game this season. He shot 59.1% from the field this season, and he is a viable lob threat who could thrive while playing alongside Luka Doncic.
Richards isn’t the greatest individual defender, but if he could give the Lakers enough rim protection, perhaps he could be part of the solution. He will make just $5 million next season, so he should be relatively affordable.
Goga Bitadze
Bitadze likely isn’t a player who is well-known among NBA fans. But he has gradually developed over the last few years, and he may be someone who still has room for improvement.
The No. 18 pick in the 2019 draft, the 6-foot-10, 250-pound Central Asia native registered 7.2 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 20.4 minutes a game this season. He isn’t as much of a lob threat as someone such as Richards, but he did throw down 87 dunks and shot 61.1% from the field this season.
He is very underrated as both a shot-blocker and a positional defender in the low post. He is also a workhorse on the defensive boards and played a role in the Orlando Magic finishing second in defensive rating and sixth in defensive rebounding percentage.
Bitadze will make $8.3 million next season and $7.6 million during the 2026-27 campaign.
Yves Missi
Missi is another center that plenty of NBA fans may not be familiar with. But as a rookie this center, he showed plenty of promise.
He averaged 9.1 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 26.8 minutes a game for the New Orleans Pelicans. He could be a solid lob threat on pick-and-rolls, and he had 116 dunks this season while starting in 67 of his 73 games.
With his rookie contract set to pay him $3.35 million next season, he could be an inexpensive option for L.A. — if the Pelicans are willing to part with him.
On Wednesday, they traded for the draft rights to 6-foot-10 Derik Queen, a big man from the University of Maryland. With David Griffin out and Joe Dumars in as their lead front office man, perhaps they could be persuaded to let Missi go.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Three under-the-radar centers Lakers should consider trading for
Reporting by Robert Marvi, LeBron Wire / LeBron Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
