Lakers have been linked to Sandro Mamukelashvili
· Yahoo Sports
The Los Angeles Lakers' pursuit of an upgraded center rotation is heating up just hours before the official start of NBA free agency. They reportedly have a meeting scheduled with Jalen Duren, who had an All-Star campaign with the Detroit Pistons this season, and it is believed that they will also end up meeting with Walker Kessler of the Utah Jazz. Both players will be restricted free agents.
According to Dan Woike of The Athletic, there is another name to add to the growing list of Lakers targets at the 5. That name is Sandro Mamukelashvili, who spent this season with the Toronto Raptors and had a breakout campaign of his own.
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"One name has come up from multiple league sources: Toronto forward/center Sandro Mamukelashvili," Woike wrote, referring to players people around the NBA have been linking the Lakers to.
"Mamukelashvili declined his $2.8 million option with the Raptors Monday, with league sources believing he could command $10 million or more in free agency.
"He's coming off a career season in Toronto, when he averaged 11.2 points and 4.9 rebounds over 80 games with the Raptors, making 38.9 percent of his 3.7 3-point attempts per game."
Mamukelashvili is 27 years of age and was a second-round draft pick in 2021 after four years at Seton Hall University. He helped Toronto finish fifth in the Eastern Conference with a 46-36 record, and while he may not be a starting-level NBA center, he could certainly make a nice reserve for Los Angeles. At 6-foot-9 and 240 pounds, Mamukelashvili can play both the 4 and 5 positions.
Among the other big men linked to the Lakers are Mitchell Robinson and Robert Williams III. According to a recent report, Los Angeles is poised to offer Robinson the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Lakers have been linked to Sandro Mamukelashvili