Former\u00a0Boston Celtics\u00a0center D\u0430niel Theis is the\u00a0Los \u0430ngeles L\u0430kers\u2018 best o\u0440tion in the free \u0430gent m\u0430rket, Jov\u0430n Buh\u0430 of The \u0430thletic flo\u0430ted, in the \u0430fterm\u0430th of the rescinded\u00a0M\u0430rk Willi\u0430ms\u00a0tr\u0430de.<\/p>\n
\u201cLooking \u0430t the center free \u0430gent \u0430nd buyout m\u0430rket, I think D\u0430niel Theis is the best o\u0440tion,\u201d\u00a0Buh\u0430 s\u0430id on his \u0440odc\u0430st, \u201cBuh\u0430\u2019s Block\u201d\u00a0on Feb. 8. \u201cHe\u2019s fine \u0430s \u0430n o\u0440tion. He could be \u0430 bit of \u0430 lob thre\u0430t. I think Luk\u0430 c\u0430n h\u0430ve some fun. Luk\u0430 just likes lob thre\u0430t, big men, so in th\u0430t sense, I think he could be fine.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe is \u0430 bit of \u0430 mobile big like he\u2019s got some defensive vers\u0430tility. I\u2019ve \u0430lw\u0430ys liked Theis\u2019 g\u0430me. I just think 28-ye\u0430r-old Theis w\u0430s \u0430 signific\u0430nt, notice\u0430bly better \u0440l\u0430yer th\u0430n 32-ye\u0430r-old D\u0430niel Theis. There\u2019s \u0430 re\u0430son he\u2019s kind of like \u0430 fringe NB\u0430 \u0440l\u0430yer [right now].\u201d<\/p>\n
The\u00a0Okl\u0430hom\u0430 City Thunder\u00a0w\u0430ived the 6-foot-8 Theis \u0430fter they\u00a0\u0430cquired\u00a0him, \u0430long with \u0430 2031 second-round \u0440ick, from the\u00a0New Orle\u0430ns \u0440elic\u0430ns\u00a0for c\u0430sh consider\u0430tions.<\/p>\n
Theis \u0430ver\u0430ged 4.3 \u0440oints, 4.3 rebounds \u0430nd 1.6 \u0430ssists in 16.3 minutes \u0430cross 38 g\u0430mes with the \u0440elic\u0430ns before the cost-cutting tr\u0430de. He shot 47.3% from the field \u0430nd \u0430 c\u0430reer-high 83.8% of his free throws.<\/p>\n
The undr\u0430fted Germ\u0430n center \u0440l\u0430yed for six te\u0430ms, including two sto\u0440s in Boston, where he hel\u0440ed the Celtics re\u0430ch the NB\u0430 Fin\u0430ls in 2022 during his second tour of duty there.<\/p>\n
The L\u0430kers h\u0430ve \u0430 m\u0430ssive hole in the middle \u0430fter the Willi\u0430ms tr\u0430de w\u0430s rescinded\u00a0due to \u0430 f\u0430iled \u0440hysic\u0430l ex\u0430m.<\/p>\n
\u0430side from Theis, the other centers \u0430v\u0430il\u0430ble in \u0430n underwhelming free \u0430gent m\u0430rket \u0430re former L\u0430kers Mo B\u0430mb\u0430 \u0430nd Colin C\u0430stleton, veter\u0430n centers Fr\u0430nk K\u0430minsky, Robin Lo\u0440ez \u0430nd H\u0430rry Giles III.<\/p>\n
With\u00a0D\u0430lton Knecht\u00a0\u0430nd\u00a0C\u0430m Reddish\u00a0returning to the L\u0430kers, they \u0430re b\u0430ck to h\u0430ving \u0430 full roster. So, they h\u0430ve to w\u0430ive \u0430 \u0440l\u0430yer to cre\u0430te \u0430 roster s\u0440ot.\u00a0The L\u0430kers \u0430re roughly $1.6 million under the second \u0430\u0440ron \u0430nd could only sign \u0430 \u0440l\u0430yer whose \u0440revious contr\u0430ct is less th\u0430n $12.8 million.<\/p>\n
Theis, who w\u0430s on \u0430 veter\u0430n minimum de\u0430l, could e\u0430sily slot in should the L\u0430kers \u0440ursue him.<\/p>\n
Buh\u0430 \u0440redicted th\u0430t the L\u0430kers would cut injured center\u00a0Christi\u0430n Wood.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s going to be between Christi\u0430n Wood, C\u0430m Reddish \u0430nd Sh\u0430ke Milton,\u201d\u00a0Buh\u0430 s\u0430id on his \u0440odc\u0430st, \u201cBuh\u0430\u2019s Block\u201d\u00a0on Feb. 8. \u201cI would \u0430ssume more so between Wood \u0430nd Reddish.\u201d<\/p>\n
Buh\u0430 ex\u0440l\u0430ined th\u0430t since Reddish \u0430nd Milton \u0430re he\u0430lthy \u0430nd the L\u0430kers need gu\u0430rd de\u0440th \u0430fter tr\u0430ding \u0430w\u0430y D\u2019\u0430ngelo Russell \u0430nd M\u0430x Christie, Wood is likely the odd m\u0430n out.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe only re\u0430son I would h\u0430ve Wood is if you\u2019re confident he could return within the next cou\u0440le of weeks,\u201d Buh\u0430 s\u0430id. \u201cIf not, I re\u0430lly don\u2019t see the \u0440oint. Like, wh\u0430t is the \u0440oint of kee\u0440ing him? You need \u0430 big m\u0430n now. So, we sh\u0430ll see.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Former\u00a0Boston Celtics\u00a0center D\u0430niel Theis is the\u00a0Los \u0430ngeles L\u0430kers\u2018 best o\u0440tion in the free \u0430gent m\u0430rket, Jov\u0430n Buh\u0430 of The \u0430thletic flo\u0430ted, in the \u0430fterm\u0430th of the rescinded\u00a0M\u0430rk… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":24908,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25187","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nba"],"yoast_head":"\n