LA Lakers rumors: NBA insider reveals Rob Pelinka set to land center within 48 hours to bolster lineup with Luka Doncic

On Monday, NBA fans watched as the Lakers picked up a 132-113 win over the Utah Jazz in Luka Doncic's first game with the team. While Doncic struggled from downtown, shooting just 1-7 from beyond the arc, he scored 14 points while hauling down five boards and dishing our four assists in his 24-minute outing.

Of course, after the Lakers-Hornets trade for Mark Williams was rescinded, one of the major talking points throughout the game was the fact that Jaxson Hayes started at the center position for LA. Per Shams Charania, however, LA General Manager Rob Pelinka is hard at work behind the scenes.

On Tuesday's episode of ESPN's NBA Today, Charania spoke about LA's frontcourt depth, saying that Pelinka is pursuing multiple big men currently available as free agents.

"I'm told the Lakers are pursuing multiple big men in the marketplace right now. They know they need some size," Charania said. "Jaxson Hayes right now is their only positional center. I would expect the Lakers to move on a potential big man in the next 24 to 48 hours.

"Rob Pelinka and that front office are trying to acquire a center. We saw how great Luka Doncic and LeBron James can make Jaxson Hayes, getting another big man there is of the utmost priority right now for the Lakers."

The big question, of course is which players the Lakers could be targeting on the open market.

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Looking at potential centers the Lakers front office could target to bolster the team's frontcourt

After the Feb. 6 NBA Trade Deadline, LA's only hope of landing a big man is via a free agency signing. While players like Dwight Howard and DeMarcus Cousins have been widely talked about over the past few days, Brian Windhorst laughed off the idea that Howard could make a return with the Lakers.

Given that he hasn't played in the NBA since the 2021-22 season, Windhorst doesn't think there's much of a chance that the Lakers sign him. The big question, of course, is who will the team target?

One player LA fans have continued to name-drop is Alex Len, who spent 11 seasons in the league, averaging a career 6.7 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. Len was with the Sacramento Kings this season, where he averaged 7.2 minutes per game over 36 games.

While he's been playing NBA minutes, Len averaged just 1.4 points and 1.8 rebounds per game this season, raising the question of whether he can be a difference-maker for the Lakers.

When looking at the list of available free agents on RealGM, a couple names stand out. One is Mo Bamba, who played 26 games for the Clippers this season averaging 4.6 points and 4.3 rebounds per game on 12.6 minutes per game.

At 26-years-old, Bamba has both the length and the NBA experience to step into a rotational role with LA.

Another potential target could be James Wiseman, who was just waived by the Toronto Raptors after being traded from Indiana. Over 23 games this season, Wiseman averaged 6.0 points and 1.0 rebounds per game over 4.6 minutes per game.

Perhaps arguably the most intriguing player available is Omer Yurtseven, who is playing for Panathinaikos, the reigning EuroLeague champions. At 26 years old and 6-foot-11, Yurtseven's been competing at a high level in Europe, while also bringing the height LA needs.

The last time we saw him in the NBA was last season, where he averaged 4.6 points and 4.3 rebounds per game over 48 games with the Jazz. In his most recent game with Panathinaikos, Yurtseven logged 19 points on 9-10 from the field while hauling down five boards and blocking three shots.

Whether or not it's enough to attract the attention of LA, only time will tell.