According to Dave McMenamin of ESPN, Luka Doncic wants the Los Angeles Lakers to add an A-List center this summer. Luckily for Tyrese Haliburton, the Indiana Pacers already gave him that gift. Ivica Zubac is one of the best pick-and-roll big men in the league, and his defense is great, too.
Zubac didn’t play much last season, but that was mostly because the Pacers wanted to rest him down the stretch of the season. But now that Haliburton is set to be healthy again next year, he’ll have an elite big man to play alongside – something Doncic doesn’t have in LA right now.
Haliburton has something Doncic doesn’t, and the Pacers beat the Lakers to the punch.
Tyrese Haliburton already has the center Luka Doncic wants
The Pacers have set themselves up to be one of the top contenders in the Eastern Conference as soon as Haliburton gets back onto the court. It’s exactly the way they should have handled things.
Haliburton’s injury kept them out of playoff contention last season. The Pacers ended up being one of the worst teams in the NBA. But that didn’t stop them from building.
Indiana took a massive risk at the trade deadline, trading their first-round pick in this year’s draft for Zubac. It was protected, but the pick ended up landing at No. 5 overall, meaning it now belongs to the LA Clippers.
However, it could all pay off for them next season because the Pacers are now ready to compete with a new and improved roster. Zubac is a great missing piece for them, giving Haliburton an elite pick-and-roll partner.
The Lakers, on the other hand, are still trying to build around Doncic. They just got him last year, and it’s up to the Lakers to put the right pieces alongside him to help him compete.
Two of the centers mentioned in McMenamin’s article are Detroit Pistons big man Jalen Duren and Utah Jazz big man Walker Kessler, who will be a restricted free agent this summer.
Both are solid options, though it seems relatively unlikely that the Lakers will be able to add either of them. Meanwhile, Haliburton is all set. He’s not even back yet, and the Pacers have already gotten him set up for success.
Indiana knows it has something special in Haliburton. In Siakam. In the rest of the roster that just made a run to the NBA Finals in 2025. So, rather than sitting and waiting, the Pacers made a big-swing trade to prepare themselves.
That’s the type of trade Doncic needs the Lakers to make this offseason.
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