Lakers trade for Nic Claxton
There's no question that the center position is going to be considered the biggest need or priority for the Los Angeles Lakers heading into the offseason. When the Lakers were eliminated by the Minnesota Timberwolves, one of the biggest reasons was because of their lack of an interior presence. In that final game against Minnesota, Rudy Gobert had his way in the paint, finishing with a 20-20 game.
Looking at the center landscape heading into the summer, Nic Claxton is one player who could hit the trade block. If the Brooklyn Nets are open to tearing down their roster even more as they continue to pivot toward a rebuild, Claxton could be considered an attainable target, even for Los Angeles. But, admittedly, this is another deal that could be costly for the Lakers.
What the trade would look like: In theory, the Lakers could get away with trading Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt, and a first-round pick to Brooklyn in exchange for Claxton. Whether the Lakers would want to trade Hachimura or if this package would even be enough for the Nets to move on from their bright young center is anyone's guess. But that is a framework that would be legal and at least somewhat intriguing for both sides.
The big question for Los Angeles revolves around whether Claxton is a player who can make enough of an impact that they wouldn't need to make another significant move. To be quite honest, I'm not sure if the answer to that question is yes. I'm afraid Claxton may not be consistent enough on the offensive end of the floor to make that big of an overall difference for Los Angeles, especially if they're losing Hachimura. Nevertheless, it's probably a deal that the franchise will consider this summer.