Trade & FA 2023-24: Stein-Ingram Trade Inevitable| LAL Want Lebron Back On Any Terms

[dirkfansince1998]

After our success with Dante Exum, I was looking through the EuroLeague leaders to see if there might be a center who could solve our backup big problem.  I have rediscovered Georgios Papagiannis and think he could be our next Dante Exum.

You may recall him as the player Vlade Divac drafted 13th overall in 2016.  This was considered a massive reach at the time and Divac was slammed for this.  Papagiannis was cut less than 2 years later and was considered one of the bigger draft busts of the decade.

Fast forward to 2022.  Papagiannis actually led the EuroLeague in blocks in 2022.  He lead the EuroLeague in rebounds in 2022.  He is 7'2" and 270 lbs.  He has a 7'6" wingspan.  He's probably big enough to provide some resistance to Jokic.  He also moves remarkably well for a player that size. 

Skeptics might say that he will kill our spacing on offense.  Prior to 2022-2023, they would have been correct.  However, he discovered the 3-point shot in 2022-2023.  This season in EuroLeague he's shooting at 55.6% from 3!  That's only in 11 games though.  Last season he shot 48.6% from 3 in EuroLeague and 56.7% in the Greek league.  That was on a total of 67 attempts last season.  Those numbers are really impressive for a giant human being.  

He seems to check every box possible in what we need in a backup center.  He's also only 26.  I think a contract similar to the Dante Exum deal would be extremely wise.  I'd actually really like to sign him to a 3-year deal at slightly above the max if we still have part of the MLE available.  Backup center problem solved.

Bruno Cabocolo is playing for Partisan this season (Exum's team last season). Was the youngest player in the 2014 draft class and turned into an NBA meme (one year away from being one year away) but in the last two seasons he has been among the best players in europe. 

Won the championship in Germany with an underdog team. Beating the heavy favorites Berlin and Munich in the playoffs. Averaged 15pts/7reb/2blk in 22/23.
This season he averages 12/5 in euroleague. Shooting 79% from the field.

Raptors fanbase used to compare him to Giannis because he had all the physical tools but he never figured out how to use them.  Obviously never turned into a Giannis-like player but at least learned how to use his athleticism on defense. Can protect the rim and switch onto the perimeter.