NBA News: LA Lakers reportedly set to invite two former league centers for a workout on Friday

The LA Lakers are reportedly set to invite former league centers Meyers Leonard and DeMarcus Cousins for a workout on Friday. Both these players are currently free agents and have been without teams since the start of the 2022-23 NBA season. The Lakers are currently twelfth in the West with a 19-22 record. They are shorthanded and are missing names like Austin Reaves, Lonnie Walker IV and eight-time All-Star Anthony Davis. However, even without them, the roster has managed to put on good performances, courtesy of solid outings from Dennis Schroder and Thomas Bryant.

The Laker nation is of the opinion that both of these players would not be ideal to solve the LA Lakers’ current problem. Meyers and Cousins are centers that can impose their will in the paint, but the Purple and Gold already have Thomas Bryant and Wenyen Gabriel to do that while Anthony Davis is out. Although Meyers Leonard has proven to be a good three-point shooter, he has been out of the league for two whole seasons.

DeMarcus Cousins proved to be a great addition during his stint with the Denver Nuggets and Milwaukee Bucks last season. However, bringing him will only stunt the growth of Bryant and Gabriel. He has been a part of the LA Lakers setup before and is still a very good option for any team in the league. However, on this occasion, it looks highly unlikely that a workout with the Purple and Gold could be a sign of a new contract for the four-time All-Star.

Who should the LA Lakers target before the trade deadline?

The LA Lakers have shown signs of great improvement after starting 2-10 this season. However, they are still below .500 and out of the play-in spot. Despite LeBron James showing off his greatness on a nightly basis, the roster is screaming for more shooters. They haven’t shot well from the three-point line and that has seemed to hinder their progress.

Names like Bojan Bogdanovic, Buddy Hield and Gary Trent Jr. have constantly been linked to the LA Lakers. But the team seems to be hesitant to give up the first-round picks that are required to get these names. However, looking at the way LeBron James and Anthony Davis have performed, the front office needs to provide them with some help if they are to succeed in the playoffs.

The last time the LA Lakers won the championship was in 2020. On that occasion, the team was stacked with shooters and wing players that could play on both ends. The current roster seems to lack that balance and to fulfil that GM Rob Pelinka will have to revisit his plan and make a trade before the February 9 deadline.

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