Lakers Urged To Sign Boban Marjanovic

One NBA analyst believes the Los Angeles Lakers should sign Boban Marjanovic.

Michael Dunlap of Heavy Sports has urged the Lakers to add Marjanovic, who is an unrestricted free agent. 

“Boban can help on the court in very short spurts,” Dunlap wrote. “He is 36 years old and has never played more than 681 minutes in any season, and hasn’t played more than 271 in his last four years. He’s not going to play a lot, it’s definitely going to be situational, a chess piece for new head coach JJ Redick to use at his discretion. The Lakers were the league’s worst offensive rebounding team in 2023-24, securing just 8.2 per game. Anthony Davis had 239 and no other player had even 70. It’s a small sample size, but Boban averages 5.0 offensive rebounds per 36 minutes for his career and can help there.

“Off the court, Boban is a great glue guy, a great locker room influence. Have you ever heard a bad word uttered about him? Absolutely not. Think about your co-workers for a minute. Are you more focused, do you work more efficiently and are your results better when you work around people who make you happy? Of course you do, it’s human nature. Boban is just one of those affable people that makes everyone around him smile. On a minimum contract, why not take a flier?”

The Lakers haven’t made any moves in free agency or trades this offseason. The only new players on the roster are rookies Bronny James and Dalton Knecht. 

Los Angeles went 47-35 in 2023-24. The team lost to the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the 2024 playoffs in five games.

The Nuggets also beat the Lakers in the 2023 Western Conference Finals in four games. 

New Lakers head coach JJ Redick said on Sirus XM NBA Radio that Los Angeles is looking to add a center.

Marjanovic, who has career averages of 5.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, 0.5 assists, 0.2 steals and 0.3 blocks, could fit that bill.