As usual: Anthony Davis wants to play more often next to the traditional pivot

JJ Redick inherited the Lakers’ catch-22 situation: Anthony Davis is by far the Lakers’ best center, but Anthony Davis doesn’t want to play the five full-time.

Davis wants to play more next to a traditional center, someone who will absorb more physicality. Last season, Davis played 97% of his minutes at center, and the Lakers didn’t make roster changes this offseason or add a big man, so more of the same is expected (especially with Christian Wood will no longer be able to start the season following knee surgery). Now comes This note from ESPN’s Dave McMenamin when we take a first look at the big questions facing the Lakers this season.

One thing Davis has made clear to the Lakers, sources told ESPN, is his preference to play more often alongside another big.

This isn’t how the Lakers are going to start the season. The Lakers can play Davis and Jaxson Hayes, but in a limited span last season, that pairing didn’t look great (-9.4 net rating), and it’s not the long-term solution.

Any long-term answer will likely come from trade, and ESPN’s McMenamin said to keep an eye on Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas.

One name to watch: Jonas Valanciunas of the Washington Wizards. (LeBron) James offered to take a pay cut to open the full mid-level exception to sign the free-agent big man, but he opted for more guaranteed money through a three-year, $30 million contract in Washington.

It’s worth noting here that McMenamin said Valanciunas opted for more guaranteed money. The contract he signed carries a two-year guarantee of $20.3 million, and the third year, at $10 million, is non-guaranteed. That means the Lakers only offered one guaranteed year, or perhaps just a partial guarantee in the second year. Should the Lakers have offered more if LeBron was willing to take a discount to sign him? Los Angeles may have been more focused on finding a sign-and-trade for Klay Thompson at the time, which turned out to be another failure for Pelinka and company.

Valanciunas is expected to be available after Dec. 15 and fits Los Angeles’ profile: a traditional center with experience, a big frame who can score around the rim but also space the floor (career 34.8 percent from 3-point range). Valanciunas is guaranteed to make $9.9 million this season. The challenge is that the Lakers won’t be the only team looking for center help, with the Pelicans and Knicks both expected to be contenders for traditional centers (the Pelicans let Valanciunas go after last season; they won’t be in the market for him). Los Angeles can easily match the salary for a Gabe Vincent or Jared Vanderbilt trade, but the rebuilding Wizards will ask for a first-round pick (likely protected) or a quality young player as part of the package. Other centers, like Brooklyn’s Nic Claxton, are likely available as well, but again, the price will be tied to young players and picks to help a rebuilding team.

Will the Lakers be willing to accept that price? That will depend on where they are and how the season plays out in mid-December, when Valanciunas and others become available. Either way, this could be another season where Davis plays a lot more center than he likes.