Entering the offseason, the frontcourt was a major point of concern for the Los Angeles Lakers, as that area of the roster cost them dearly in their opening round playoff loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
While Los Angeles' front office did its best to address those needs, particularly at the center position, by adding Deandre Ayton to the fold and retaining Jaxson Hayes as his primary backup, a former Lakers big man who helped push the Indiana Pacers to the NBA Finals this past season never seemed to be a true target of Rob Pelinka and Co. Now, the big man is off the market as he has agreed to join an Eastern Conference powerhouse.
According to Shams Charania of ESPN.com, veteran center Thomas Bryant has used his successful run as a member of the Indiana Pacers' roster, which made a surprise push to the NBA Finals, to lock down a new deal with the favorite to emerge from the Eastern Conference this season, the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Ex-Lakers C Thomas Bryant Agrees to Deal with Cavs Right Before Camp
The terms of Bryant's agreement with the Cavaliers were not disclosed as part of Charania's report. However, given the timing of the announcement, the odds are high that this is a one-year deal for the veteran's minimum.
This makes the lack of rumors concerning any potential interest from the Lakers in reuniting with Bryant a bit confusing. After averaging 6.9 points and 3.9 rebounds in 15.1 minutes per game, the case could easily be made that Bryant would have been a useful addition to Los Angeles' frontcourt as a depth piece.
Instead, the Purple and Gold went in a different direction. It is far too early to say with any level of confidence whether the moves made by the Lakers will fix the issues that plagued them this past season after shipping Anthony Davis out of town for Luka Doncic. On paper, though, the center position does seem to be in a much better spot to start the 2025-26 campaign than it was to close the 2024-25 season.
What Bryant ultimately does in Cleveland is not going to change the fact that the most important thing in Los Angeles is going to be whether Ayton is up for the challenge of facing the pressure that comes with chasing a championship as a member of the Lakers.