Lakers linked to Aaron Gordon, $60M center

The Los Angeles Lakers entered the offseason with outside outlets tying them to multiple frontcourt names, including Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon, Golden State Warriors big man Kristaps Porzingis and Miami Heat forward Andrew Wiggins. Heavy on May 15 pointed to Gordon as a possible trade candidate if Denver reshapes its roster, while Sporting News on May 17 highlighted Porzingis and Wiggins in separate trade-target pieces. (heavy.com) Rob Pelinka has already said the Lakers are searching for size. (sportingnews.com) Heavy, citing reporting from Dan Woike, said Pelinka would “turn over every stone” to find a center through trade or free agency, and ESPN’s Shams Charania said the league was waiting to see whether Los Angeles fills that need via the draft, free agency or a trade. (heavy.com) The links do not amount to confirmed negotiations. The reports are better understood as a snapshot of the type of players being floated around a team that needs frontcourt help after its playoff exit. ### Why is Aaron Gordon part of the Lakers conversation? Aaron Gordon was identified by Heavy on May 15 as a possible Lakers target after Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley described him as the kind of multi-positional defender Los Angeles should want. (heavy.com) Heavy said Denver could consider moving Gordon as part of broader offseason changes, though it did not report that the Nuggets and Lakers were in active talks. (heavy.com) Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, in a report later picked up by Yahoo Sports and other outlets, said several teams were expected to contact Denver about Gordon and named the Lakers among “realistic trade suitors.” That report gave the Gordon chatter a wider base than a single team-site rumor item. (heavy.com) Aaron Gordon is also under a long-term contract. NBA.com reported in October 2024 that Gordon agreed to a four-year, $133 million extension with Denver, and Spotrac lists a three-year, $103.6 million extension structure beginning in 2026-27 with a player option in 2028-29. ### Which $60 million ex-Mavericks center is being mentioned? Kristaps Porzingis is the $60 million former Mavericks center named by Sporting News on May 17. (heavy.com) The story cited Sportsnaut’s Jason Burgos, who wrote that Porzingis should be on the Lakers’ radar as an “affordable” upside play despite his recent health issues. (sports.yahoo.com) Golden State officially acquired Porzingis from the Atlanta Hawks on Feb. 5, according to the Warriors. Sporting News described him as an ex-Mavericks center because he previously played with Luka Doncic in Dallas, and Spotrac lists the underlying extension as two years and $60 million. (nba.com) The Porzingis idea fits the roster need more directly than the Wiggins link. Sporting News said Burgos viewed him as a rim protector, lob threat and floor spacer, all traits the Lakers have been seeking next to Doncic and, potentially, LeBron James. ### Who is the $109 million ex-Warriors forward? (sportingnews.com) Andrew Wiggins is the former Warriors forward in the May 17 Sporting News item. The story cited Sportsnaut’s Jason Burgos, who said Wiggins should be a Lakers target if he picks up the final year of his contract with Miami, adding that he fits as a “classic 3-and-D player.” (nba.com) Spotrac lists Wiggins’ contract as a four-year, $109 million extension originally signed with Golden State, with a $30.17 million salary for 2026-27. Sporting News said the Lakers had shown prior interest before the Feb. 5 trade deadline. (sportingnews.com) Wiggins is less of a center answer than Porzingis, but the reporting shows the Lakers’ search is not limited to one position. Heavy’s Gordon piece also framed Los Angeles as looking for size, length and defense on the wing and at forward. ### How much of this is sourced reporting, and how much is aggregation? Heavy and Sporting News both leaned heavily on other analysts’ or outlets’ proposals rather than reporting direct negotiations. (sportingnews.com) Heavy’s Gordon story cited Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley, and the Sporting News pieces on Porzingis and Wiggins cited Sportsnaut’s Jason Burgos. That matters because the stories show who is being discussed around the Lakers, not necessarily who the Lakers are actively pursuing. (spotrac.com) The firmer, directly sourced reporting remains that Pelinka is looking for a center and that league observers expect Los Angeles to be active before or after the 2026 NBA Draft and into free agency. (heavy.com) ### What comes next for the Lakers? The 2026 NBA Draft and the opening of free agency are the next checkpoints for any Lakers frontcourt move. Heavy’s offseason coverage said Los Angeles had multiple free-agent decisions to sort through, including LeBron James and Austin Reaves, while Pelinka’s stated search for a center gives the trade market added importance. (heavy.com) Any substantive update is likely to come from the Lakers, the Nuggets, the Warriors, the Heat or national NBA reporters closer to the draft and free agency windows. Until then, the Gordon, Porzingis and Wiggins links remain part of the early offseason rumor cycle around a team that has publicly acknowledged its need for size. (heavy.com 1) (heavy.com 2) (heavy.com 3)