Could the Los Angeles Lakers be interested in signing LeBron James‘ former teammate Tristan Thompson? As we approach the final stretch of the 2022-2023 NBA season, teams that have not won enough games to guarantee a spot in the postseason are desperate to win and improve their record.
The Los Angeles Lakers are working out free agent centers Tristan Thompson and Tony Bradley this week, sources tell me and @jovanbuha. Thompson, an 11-year NBA veteran, was a key member of the 2016 championship Cavaliers team alongside LeBron James.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 20, 2023
One of those teams is the Los Angeles Lakers, who despite having LeBron James and Anthony Davis, hold a record of 35 wins and 37 losses. That gives them the 10th seed in a Western Conference and would mean that they barely made it into the play-in tournament if the season ended today.
The Lakers would certainly like to avoid playing in multiple elimination games just to make it into the NBA playoffs. Perhaps that is why they worked out with Tristan Thompson recently. Let us take a closer look at the situation and understand what Thompson brings to the squad.
Could the Los Angeles Lakers replace Anthony Davis with Tristan Thompson?
Although he is listed at only 6’9, Thompson has played both the power forward and center positions throughout his 10-year NBA career which began in 2012. He has played with several teams so far but is best known for his time with the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he helped LeBron James win a title back in 2016.
BREAKING: The Lakers are working out Tristan Thompson, via The Athletic.
Run it back? 👀🔥 pic.twitter.com/kSi12FxIh3
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) March 20, 2023
Over the past few years, he has been moved across the league and played in multiple teams like the Boston Celtics, Indiana Pacers, and Chicago Bulls. Despite being only 30 years old, Tristan was struggling to secure an NBA contract and get time on the court this season.
Considering that he has averaged 9 points and 8.4 rebounds throughout his career, the Lakers decided to work out with LeBron’s former teammate and see if he would be a good fit for the team. Some feel that this is just a desperate move by the Lakers, who have realized their lack of a reliable interior presence in the absence of LeBron James and Mo Bamba.
While Anthony Davis is certainly talented, he is quite a ways away from reliable at this juncture of his career with the Lakers. Several NBA analysts feel that Davis is on limited time with the Lakers if his struggles continue. In that case, we might just see them make a move for Thompson. Even if they decide to hold on to AD, it would undoubtedly make sense to have a more reliable and veteran NBA center on the team.
