FORMER LAKERS THE TEAM MISSES MOST RIGHT NOW

WRITTEN + EDITED BY JORDYN BONTRAGER

This is not to be misconstrued, the Lakers are actively clicking on all cylinders under the wing of shot caller JJ Redick. During the preliminary phases of the season, the squad stuck together throughout some early growing pains. Now, they are reaping the benefits of buying into what the “podcaster” has been preaching.

Right around this time last year (31-27 then compared to 37-21 now) is when this team truly began to pick up some steam for it’s home stretch playoff push, so the present player personnel is undoubtedly ahead of the curve in comparison with their predecessors (most of them being their own predecessors). Still, this team could surely stand to benefit from the presence of a few of it’s recent ancestors.

With those things being stated, here are a few former Lakers actively hooping (excluding the most obvious in Anthony Davis) whom the club could use the most at this very moment.

BROOK LOPEZ

With all due respect to the band of big bodies JJ Redick has at his disposal (most notably Jaxson Hayes x Trey Jemison III), this team is still very much lacking a starting caliber NBA center. When you sift back through the 5-men who have come and gone throughout recent Lakeshow memory, it is hard to think of a better fit with LeBron + Luka than Lopez. His presence on the boards has dwindled with time, but with Luka (8.6 RPG thus far with the team) + LeBron (8.1 RPG this season) + some auxiliary rebounding support from the likes of Jarred Vanderbilt x Rui Hachimura, Lopez’s renowned abilities to swat shots at the rim (career 1.9 BPG) and hit shots all over the gym (career 35.0% shooter from deep) would suffice in staking his value.

IVICA ZUBAC

Big Zu has yet to do anything spectacular thus far in his 8-year NBA tenure, but has quietly developed a reputation as one of the more underrated centers in the league. The Croatian native is in the midst of a career year (15.5 PPG | 12.6 RPG | 2.5 APG | 1.2 BPG | 0.8 SPG | 61.9% FG), and lord knows his former employer could desperately use his services.

MAX CHRISTIE

While seemingly not important on the surface of the blockbuster Luka-AD swap, the loss of Max Christie in said exchange is something that will haunt this team down the road. Christie was virtually a perfect complement in between Austin Reaves + LeBron James (and then hypothetically with all 3 of AR x LBJ x Doncic as well) with the starting lineup, and was beginning to turn the corner in the weeks leading up to the deal. The 22-year-old has hit the ground SPRINTING since his relocation to Dallas (13.2 PPG | 4.2 RPG | 3.5 APG | 0.5 BPG | 1.0 SPG | 45.9% FG | 44.0% 3FG | 84.0% FT).

ALEX CARUSO

There have been some great players who have risen from the G-League ranks to establish themselves as legitimate NBA basketball players, and Alex Caruso may be the best of that respective bunch. It is still hard to believe that he went undrafted in the 2016 draft given the “right” way he plays the game. His defensive acumen has cemented his place among the top perimeter stoppers in the association. And while he has the sneaky athleticism and smooth shooting stroke (career 37.6% outside shooter) to make things happen on his own, he never forces things outside of the natural flow of the offense.

MALIK BEASLEY

The 2025 NBA 3-Point Contest trophy may reside at Tyler Herro’s home somewhere in South Beach, but it is fair to make the case for Beasley as the league’s most lethal shooter this season when you combine his splash rate (42.7%) + high volume (9.4 triples attempts/game). His contributions in other compartments may be on the minimal side of the spectrum, but it never hurts to have a gunner specifically ready to release if given even a sliver of space whenever he is on the floor (particularly with the 3-headed playmaking monster of James x Doncic x Reaves setting things up).

TAUREAN PRINCE

There probably are not many starting caliber players around the NBA universe who have flown as far under the radar as Taurean Prince. After turning in an admiral campaign in LA last year (provided his normal dose of steady perimeter D on the top game’s top wings while connecting on 39.6% of his 3’s), it was a bit puzzling when the front office let Prince walk in free agency. Assuredly they regret their decision to do so now, as the combo forward has the NBA’s 2nd-highest 3FG% (45.4%) as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks.

JAVALE MCGEE

Circling back to the team’s need for frontcourt assistance, the 2020 championship twin tower combination of JaVale McGee x Dwight Howard recently came up as potential targets for the team to evaluate on the open market. There is no denying Howard has had the better career of the tandem, but given his past ego issues it would probably make more sense for the team to inject McGee’s supreme athleticism + entertaining spirit to the end of the bench/locker room.

KENTAVIOUS CALDWELL-POPE

Anytime you have the pleasure of housing LeBron James, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves on the same team, you’ll want to surround them with guys who can fill in the cracks on both sides of the floor. That means gritty, hard-nosed defenders on both the perimeter + in the paint. It also means sharpshooting/lob threats for the table-setters to target on their travels toward the tin. There was a lot of flak flung in KCP’s direction throughout his time with the Lakers, and he is unquestionably enduring the least efficient year on the offensive end of the floor. Regardless, the man has been one of the poster boys of the ‘3&D’ movement in recent memory. On paper, he fits nearly as snug as Christie with the Lakers starting group.