Lakers News: Rival Emerges As Competitor For Services Of Top Free Agent Center

Can the big man still land with LA?

Your Los Angeles Lakers are hoping to add some veteran frontcourt savvy to their bench with what remains of this summer's free agent stock. The Dallas Mavericks' Christian Wood has been floated as perhaps the most appetizing big man still on the market.

Per Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times, who is rooting for a Wood signing, LA may have some major competition for the 6'10" vet's services.

Because the Chicago Bulls now have a $10.23 disabled player exception thanks to ex-Laker Lonzo Ball being shelved for yet another full season in 2023-24, and they could certainly use some big man help, the playoff hopefuls could have far more cash at their disposal to offer Wood.

During what seems likely to have been his lone season in Dallas, the 27-year-old out of UNLV averaged 16.6 points on .515/.376/.772 shooting splits, 7.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.1 blocks a night.

Los Angeles, by contrast, is only capable of paying Wood a $2.7 million veteran's minimum.

Chicago hasn't fielded a starting-caliber power forward since adding DeMar DeRozan and ex-Lakers Ball and Alex Caruso in free agency during the summer of 2021. Wood, who can play at either the four or the five, would instantly fix that, though a starting frontcourt of Wood and Nikola Vucevic would leave the club's defense insanely porous.

Wood has a better chance of winning a championship with this deep Lakers club that, led by future Hall of Famers LeBron James and Anthony Davis this spring, advanced all the way to the Western Conference Finals. Though the Bulls rode a 40-42 record to two play-in games, they ultimately fell short of even qualifying for the playoffs proper, and lack the top-level talent, defense, and three-point shooting to truly be a title contender, with or without Christian Wood.

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