4 Former Lakers L.A. Should Sign for a Reunion This Offseason

2. Moritz Wagner, C

It's almost difficult to remember that Moritz Wagner was a Laker at one point. The franchise drafted him 25th overall at the 2018 NBA Draft and played one season in a Los Angeles uniform before being involved in the three-team trade with the New Orleans Pelicans and Washington Wizards that saw Anthony Davis head to the Lake Show.

Since the move, Wagner enjoyed brief stints with the Wizards and Boston Celtics before spending the last 3.5 seasons with the Orlando Magic. He's played well alongside brother Franz as the 27-year-old continues to establish himself as one of the better scoring bench centers in the Association.

With the Lakers needing a reliable backup to play behind Davis, targeting Wagner — who's an unrestricted free agent — makes a ton of sense. The former Michigan Wolverine thrived in a bench role for the Magic in 2023-24, averaging 10.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 0.5 threes made with .601/.333/.814 splits across 80 games.

Even if he enjoys playing with his brother, Wagner could be tempted to join the Lakers on the mid-level exception. Los Angeles' frontcourt is a lot less crowded than Orlando's and returning to the Lakers would allow the floor-stretching center the opportunity to show the franchise why he was a first-round pick in the first place.