The Los Angeles Lakers‘ search for a starting center has reportedly entered a new phase. After weeks of exploring virtually every option on the market, the franchise has now narrowed its focus to three physical interior anchors who fit Luka Doncic’s vision for the team.
According to reports, Los Angeles is centering its attention on Mitchell Robinson, Kel’el Ware, and Myles Turner as Rob Pelinka looks to satisfy Doncic’s request for an elite rim-running pick-and-roll partner.
The Lakers have spent much of the offseason evaluating both star-level and value options. Earlier reports linked them to players such as Jalen Duren, Walker Kessler, Jarrett Allen, Nic Claxton, and Isaiah Stewart, but circumstances around the league have significantly reduced those possibilities.
Now, the list appears much more defined.
Mitchell Robinson represents perhaps the most traditional center available. The Knicks are reportedly open to letting him go, making Los Angeles one of the logical landing spots. Robinson averaged 5.7 points and 8.8 rebounds while shooting an incredible 72.3% from the field last season. More importantly, he remains arguably the NBA’s best offensive rebounder.
His ability to generate second-chance opportunities, finish lobs, and protect the paint would fit perfectly alongside Doncic, who has consistently elevated athletic rim-running centers throughout his career.
Then, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Lakers are interested in Kel’el Ware and Myles Turner.
Kel’el Ware offers an entirely different profile. The 22-year-old seven-footer combines rim protection with legitimate floor-spacing ability, making him one of the league’s most intriguing young big men. Although Ware was recently traded to Milwaukee, league executives still view him as one of the highest-upside young centers in basketball.
Ware averaged 11.1 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks while shooting 53.0% from the field and an impressive 39.5% from three-point range. He is still on his four-year, $20.4 million rookie deal, set to make $4.6 million this season with a $7.1 million team option for the 2027-28 campaign.
Then there is Myles Turner, a player the Lakers have pursued for years.
Turner remains one of the NBA’s premier two-way centers, averaging 11.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks while shooting 44.0% from the field and 38.3% from three-point range. His ability to protect the rim while stretching opposing defenses would create ideal spacing for Doncic and Austin Reaves. Few centers possess both elite shot-blocking instincts and reliable three-point shooting, making Turner one of the cleanest fits in the entire league.
Turner is also under contract through the 2028-29 season with the Bucks. He will earn $26.5 million next season, followed by $27.8 million in 2027-28 and $29.1 million in 2028-29. That long-term team control makes him even more attractive for a Lakers front office trying to build around Doncic’s championship window.
The urgency is obvious. Los Angeles addressed its perimeter shooting during the draft by trading up for Cameron Carr, but it chose not to draft a center despite the glaring need in the frontcourt. That decision signaled confidence that the answer would come through a trade rather than the draft.
Whether it ends up being Robinson’s elite rebounding, Ware’s long-term upside, or Turner’s proven two-way impact, the Lakers appear determined to add a physical presence in the middle. After weeks of evaluating nearly every available big man, their search now seems focused on three names who each offer a different blueprint for building the ideal frontcourt around Luka Doncic.
