The Los Angeles Lakers’ season-ending loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves came at the hands of defensively minded center Rudy Gobert, not superstar Anthony Edwards.
Entering the postseason, many fans understood that the Lakers’ biggest issue was talent in the frontcourt, which became a hole following the unexpected Luka Dončić-Anthony Davis blockbuster trade in February. Gobert simply put the nail in the coffin in Game 5, recording 27 points and 24 rebounds on 12 of 15 shooting to send the Lakers packing.
Regardless of whether LeBron James plans to play another season, addressing this need in the summer is a must through the NBA Draft, free agency, or trade market.
Lakers Predicted To Trade for Nic Claxton
The Brooklyn Nets hold the sixth-highest odds to land the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and have clearly signaled their intentions to rebuild.
This is why proven talents on Brooklyn’s roster, such as Cameron Johnson and Nic Claxton, often find themselves in trade rumors. Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley predicts the Lakers will fill their glaring void at center by trading for Claxton this offseason.
“L.A.’s need for a new center is both obvious and enormous,” Buckley wrote. “Nic Claxton would be a tremendous get. While he’s not huge by NBA standards (6’11”, 215 lbs), he has all the length and athleticism needed to thrive in a rim-running role. He can anchor a defense—key for a team with as many holes on the perimeter as the Purple and Gold—and consistently crush lobs on offense.”
Claxton was selected by the Nets late in the first round in 2019, playing more than 300 games for them since then. He’s reached the playoffs a few times in his career but never had a real chance at hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy in Brooklyn. If traded to L.A., the 26-year-old would have a real shot at contending for a championship.
He averaged 10.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks on 56.3% shooting last season but seriously lacks the ability to stretch the floor. This is what makes the Lakers such an appealing landing spot for Claxton.
While a floor-stretching big man could certainly help, Gobert proved the Lakers are in much greater need of an anchor in the paint on both ends of the floor.
“As an added bonus, he’s even nimble enough to handle perimeter switches, meaning the Lakers could still play some of their small-ball style without having to be problematically undersized,” Buckley concluded.
The Lakers should be willing to part with however many assets are needed to land Claxton or another frontcourt star who can protect the paint and serve as a lob threat.
