The offseason is picking up steam, but every rumor about the Los Angeles Lakers that built up to is not. Right after it was rumored that they were eyeing Isaiah Stewart in a potential Giannis Antetokounmpo multi-team trade, both deals happened without the Lakers. Giannis went to the Miami Heat, and the Bucks got Kel’el Ware. Now, the Memphis Grizzlies acquired Isaiah Stewart from the Detroit Pistons. This leaves the Lakers with even fewer options to fix a glaring issue in their frontcourt.

According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Pistons sent the 25-year-old big man to Memphis in exchange for three future second-round draft picks. That frees up essential payroll for Detroit while handing the Grizzlies a physical interior piece before they potentially trade away Ja Morant. While the trade bolsters Memphis’ rebuild, the transaction will send ripples through Southern California. Prominent Lakers insider Jovan Buha delivered an urgent wake-up call to the Los Angeles front office on his podcast that the market for a big that could back Luka Doncic is drying up.

“The Lakers are running out of options,” Buha explained. “[Kel’el] Ware is technically off the market, he’s in Milwaukee now. We’ll see what’s with [Myles] Turner and [Isaiah] Stewart and if the deal expands. But then you also have [Nic] Claxton now in Chicago. Walker Kessler is 80-plus % likely to stay in Utah. Duren I think was far less likely to be available than Kessler anyway. So with this musical game of chairs here at the center spot it’s like, ‘where are the Lakers finding their center?'”

Buha highlighted that the league-wide musical chairs at the center position has left Los Angeles completely empty-handed, putting the franchise in a dangerous spot as rival teams lock up available assets.

“The Hoop Collective reported that Walker Kessler is 80-plus % likely to stay in Utah. Jalen Duren, I think, was far less likely to be available than Kessler anyway. So with this musical game of chairs here at the center spot, it’s like, ‘Where are the Lakers finding their center?’ I don’t know.”

With marquee names either going off the trade block or remaining untouchable assets, Buha crushed the expectations of Lakers fans waiting for a blockbuster any day now.

“I don’t see Isaiah Hartenstein becoming available. Rudy Gobert… maybe? But I don’t love the fit, and he’s also 34 years old. I don’t see Wendell Carter [Jr.] becoming available, I don’t see Jarrett Allen become available. [Yves] Missi to me is, I don’t even know if Missi is a starter. Maybe? He’s shown some starter potential, but I think he’s still pretty raw, and I think he’s probably a year or two away. To me it’s like either taking a gamble on a young player who’s probably not ready for it or it’s entrusting a Robert Williams [III] or Mitchell Robinson. Those guys to me are fringe starters but more like high, high, high level backups.”

Buha’s long list just showed that LA’s inaction is costing them. While the draft day passed with some trade picks, Buha’s warning quickly became a grim reality.

“The Lakers are running out of center options. I don’t know where this mythical center is coming from.”

Exhausted big men landscape makes things difficult for Lakers

The sudden rush for big men comes at a crucial juncture for the Lakers. Not just their round-two sweep by the OKC, but all season-long, they’ve been craving a big man that fits better with Luka Doncic than Deandre Ayton’s inconsistent style.

After Doncic revealed in an interview that he expects the team to add bigs and shooters to the roster, reports indicated that he also directly communicated his demand to Rob Pelinka’s office. LA just took a massive step by locking up star guard Austin Reaves to a four-year, $185 million maximum contract extension.

However, the team’s glaring frontcourt deficiency remains unresolved following a frustrating postseason run in which Ayton’s defensive style proved a liability. LeBron James also remains undecided, waiting on the Lakers to give him depth or a max deal.

As June free agency approaches, Pelinka faces a scarce marketplace, as Buha said. High-upside restricted targets like Walker Kessler and Jalen Duren are overwhelmingly expected to stay with their respective teams.

They were previously linked to high-impact veterans like Mitchell Robinson and Robert Williams III. But they present severe durability red flags that Buha rightfully terms a gamble.

In recent history, the Lakers were reportedly in contact with the Bucks and Pistons to help facilitate the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade and get Isaiah Stewart in return.

However, the Bucks and Heat made a straight swap, the first round of the NBA draft took place, and then the Pistons and Grizzlies also struck a deal without the Lakers’ involvement.

With Isaiah Stewart officially headed to Memphis and other top-tier targets off the table, the Lakers find themselves dangerously low on options to appease their franchise cornerstones.