The Los Angeles Lakers are among a handful of teams monitoring Orlando Magic center Wendell Carter Jr., according to Sean Deveney of Heavy.com.
Deveney said he was told by a league source that Carter Jr. has emerged as a possible target for the Lakers since his evolving skill set would allow him to play seamlessly next to Anthony Davis in the Lakers front court, not to mention that his $12M per year salary is quite cheap in today’s market.
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“Fairly young, probably a little undervalued because of his red flags (injuries), and still tapping into his skillset,” the exec told Heavy Sports. “The contract is right, it makes sense for them. That’s a guy they’re monitoring, but a lot of teams are.”
Carter Jr. still has two years left in his four-year, $50 million deal he signed with the Magic in 2022.
Wendell Carter Jr.’s Evolution into a Sniper
Drafted 7th overall in the 2018 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls, the former Duke standout spent his first three seasons in the Windy City before he and Otto Porter Jr. were shipped to Orlando for then All-Star center Nikola Vucevic.
Carter Jr. averaged 11.7 points on 49.3 FG% through his first 22 games with the Magic and then put together his best statistical year in his first full season in Orlando, averaging 15.0 points and 10.5 rebounds while shooting 52.5% from the field during the 2021-22 season.
His numbers dipped to 11.0 points and 6.9 rebounds per game last season, mainly because the Magic ran most of their offense around franchise cornerstones Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner.
Nevertheless, Carter Jr. continues to evolve as a reliable stretch-big capable of hitting 37.4% of his three-point attempts last season.
The Lakers entered the offseason in dire need of adding a shooting center to stretch out the floor and create more space for Davis to operate inside the paint.
D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reeves for Wendell Carter Jr. and Cole Anthony
D’Angelo Russell, who picked the second year of his contract worth $18 million, was previously linked to the Magic in weeks leading up to the opening of the free-agency window.
According to various reports, the Magic were considering signing D’Angelo Russell and Klay Thompson as free agents in an effort to improve their three-point shooting and backcourt play. In the end, they signed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to a three-year, $66 million contract.
With the Lakers’ interest in Carter Jr. now out in the open, the Magic could use their leverage as the seller to ask for both Russell and Austin Reeves in exchange for Carter Jr. and the remaining years of Cole Anthony’s contract.
Russell (36.9 3PT%) and Reeves (36.5 3PT%) are both dead-eye shooters from the three-point range who could significantly improve the Magic’s three-point shooting that ranked 24th in the league at 35.2%.
Although losing Carter Jr.’s interior defense and three-point shooting is going to be tough, the Magic won’t have a hard time filling in his spot since they have Swiss knife defender Jonathan Isaac.
Like Carter Jr., Isaac stands at 6-foot-10 but the only difference is he can guard multiple positions at an elite level. The trio of Isaac, Wagner, and Banchero can match up with any frontcourt in the league because of their size, versatility, and “switchability.”
Russell, who averages 5.8 assists throughout his career, would improve the guard play for the Magic as Suggs, who is a better defender than Russell, is still fine-tuning his playmaking skills.
Reeves would be an instant offense for the Magic like Anthony, but he isn’t going to give up too much size advantage on the defensive end at 6-foot-5, 197-pound. Plus, he has already formed a chemistry with Banchero as the two played together for Team USA at the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
