The Los Angeles Lakers' need for a new starting center is as obvious as the need for deodorant on a hot summer day. Many Lakers fans will tell you they saw enough of Deandre Ayton in that role as they desperately hope the franchise agrees. The question then becomes who replaces him.
That has been one of the most intriguing plot points with the offseason frenzy just around the corner. To potentially answer that inquiry, getting a deal done with the Brooklyn Nets for Nic Claxton provides a very viable solution that way too many folk out there have forgotten about.
The value of Claxton's contract is descending, he's still capable in the desirable areas that Los Angeles would want out of their big man, and the rebuilding Nets could likely be bargained with for the right price. Unfortunately for the Lakers, there is at least one other team who agrees with the last part of that statement. Michael Scotto reported that interest in the Nets center is growing.
"With [the] Charlotte [Hornets] considering a starting-caliber center upgrade, other centers besides [Domantas] Sabonis are on their radar, including Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton, league sources told HoopsHype."
Hornets and Lakers could go head-to-head for Nic Claxton
For the Lakers, any competition on the trade market is a bad thing. The assets they possess to make deals are limited, and there is only a small list of teams who are actually stuck in a worse situation than they are in that department.
If the Hornets set their sights on Claxton, some combination of young talent and draft pick capital could push whatever the Lakers had to offer to the side. They would seriously need to hope that Charlotte turns their attention to other players who could be available via trade.
Granted, the Lakers could explore the opportunity to do the same.
Walker Kessler is the talk of the town right now amid his reported friction with the Utah Jazz. Free agents like Mitchell Robinson and Robert Williams III have also been floated as potential solutions at the starting center spot for the Lakers. Perhaps Los Angeles could even find someone at 25th overall in the 2026 NBA Draft to occupy that spot.
One way or another, though, all those options are flawed. Kessler is a restricted free agent and will be hard to pry away. Robinson and Williams are both massive health concerns. Giving the keys to a rookie center is a huge gamble.
Rob Pelinka has a track record of working with the Nets for moves before. That should make negotiations around a Claxton trade relatively painless without rivals. If the Lakers do not want that path to disappear, they should hope the Hornets find their upgrade from dealing with somebody else.
Add us as a preferred source on Google