Roy Hibbert will be wearing a Lakers uniform this coming season. (Photo : REUTERS)
The Los Angeles Lakers are poised to acquire All-Star center Roy Hibbert in a trade with the Indiana Pacers.
The teams are finalizing the terms of the deal and have committed to a swap but have not yet named the other players that will be involved.
The Lakers settled for Hibbert after failing to land high-profile targets in free agency such as LaMarcus Aldridge and DeAndre Jordan and second-tier big men such as Greg Monroe and Robin Lopez.
Hibbert made the All-Star team in 2011-12 while averaging 12.8 points on 49.7 percent shooting, 8.8 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game.
Another good thing about Hibbert is that he is in the final year of his contract and could be signed without affecting the Lakers' free-agency plans for 2016.
The Lakers will absorb Hibbert's $15.5 million salary for next season into their salary-cap space, sources said.
Hibbert has had three seasons in his career in which he has shot less than 45 percent from the floor.
That's tied for second-most among centers in the past 30 seasons.
Thursday is the first day that the deal can be consummated, after a leaguewide moratorium on roster business is lifted.
Ex-Golden State Warriors All-Star forward David Lee is also in the final year of his contract but the Lakers are not hotly pursuing Lee.
Pacers president Larry Bird has no longer included Hibbert in the club's plans.
The Pacers were hoping that Hibbert would opt for free agency but he elected to exercise his player option for the coming season valued at $15.5 million.
The Pacers intend to have a faster playing style and have struck a four-year, $44 million deal earlier this week with free-agent guard Monta Ellis.They also drafted a more offensively talented center in 19-year-old Myles Turner to be a part of a faster, more agile frontcourt.
