Given the lack of changes on the roster, coaching was supposed to be the difference-maker for this season's Lakers.
A month into the season, that idea is looking flawed.
Los Angeles looks a lot like last season's team because the roster simply isn't good enough to compete with the best teams in the league. The Lakers seem to be accepting that hard truth. A trade needs to happen and they are looking to acquire a center, per The Stein Line and Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer.
Chief among those targets is Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas, who LeBron James was willing to take a pay cut for had the team been able to sign him as a free agent this past summer. Valanciunas is a solid veteran who started every game for the Pelicans before coming off the bench for the Wizards this season. He is also very available.
Valanciunas is a talented player, but he's the wrong guy for this Lakers team.
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Why Jonas Valanciunas is a poor trade target for Lakers
The Lakers have clear strengths and weaknesses. They're a good offensive team that could get even better if they raised their No. 25 ranking in 3-point attempts and they're a poor defensive team that struggles to defend in transition.
Valanciunas doesn't address any of these particular issues. He's a great low post scorer who can wear opponents down inside. The Lakers already have good post scoring, and Valanciunas would get in the way of where James and Anthony Davis like to work.
Valanciunas also isn't a 3-point threat. He will make the wide-open ones but takes less than one per game for his career.
Most importantly, Valanciunas isn't a great defensive player. He isn't good at moving on the perimeter, and he was often taken out down the stretch of games with the Pelicans because of those issues.
Valanciunas is one of the slower players in the league. He won't help the Lakers defend better in transition either.
The most appealing aspect of trading for Valanciunas is the price. The Lakers have only two first-round picks that they have been reluctant to part with, plus five second-rounders and three pick swaps. Valanciunas wouldn't cost a first to acquire. Gabe Vincent and a couple of second-rounders would likely get the job done.
That would be an easy trade to pull off, but it would only add one or two wins. The Lakers would still be miles away from the Thunder, Warriors and other elite teams in the West.
MORE: What types of players could D'Angelo Russell bring back in a trade?
Better trade targets for Lakers
The Lakers are also interested in Robert Williams III, per Fischer. That trade would make more sense and give the team more upside, but Williams has been playing so well for the Blazers that he might not be as available as he was a few weeks ago.
Fischer suggests that the Blazers would rather move Deandre Ayton, whose $34 million salary and mediocre play make him an even worse fit than Valanciunas.
MORE: The Lakers potential trade that would bring in Robert Williams III
An even better center target would be Nikola Vucevic, who is very available for a Bulls team trying to hold on to their top-10 protected pick this year.
Vucevic has had a comeback season, playing at an All-Star level. He's a good passer that fits into Redick's system of playing through his big men. He has been one of the best big man shooters this season, hitting 46.3 percent of his 3s. He wouldn't cost much more than Valanciunas to acquire.
MORE: What it would cost the Lakers to acquire Nikola Vucevic
Jakob Poeltl is another fantastic option for the Lakers. Poeltl is a great defensive center who has improved offensively this season, putting up a Shaq-like stretch of scoring for the Raptors. He's not an outside shooter, but he has a great push shot that forces teams to guard him from 15 feet out.
Some other available big man names that make more sense for the Lakers include old friend Larry Nance Jr., Nick Richards and Walker Kessler.
Those targets aren't necessarily better players than Valanciunas, but the Lakers don't need his shot creation and offensive talent. They should focus on more well-rounded players to make the improvements they need.
