The 2025 NBA Draft chess game has already begun. While the reality of what happens behind closed front office doors is unknown, that doesn’t stop fans and analysts from devising their own strategies. One recent example involved a renowned expert and one of the top prospects in the draft.
ESPN draft analyst Bobby Marks proposed a three-team trade involving the Los Angeles Lakers, the Brooklyn Nets, and the Portland Trail Blazers. The trade would address the Lakers’ lack of a high-level center. Marks’ goal is for former Duke star Khaman Maluach to play for the California team, saying he could thrive with Los Angeles.
NBA Draft Insider Gets Real About Khaman Maluach’s Potential With Lakers
The issue has nuances, and no one expressed them better than Trevor Lane, a renowned analyst and host of the Lakers Nation podcast. Lane shares the same concerns as any fan: Maluach’s tremendous youth.
“How comfortable are you saying that Maluach is going to just step in from day one and be the Lakers’ starting center?” Lane asked.
“You’re banking a lot on Maluach being able to step in immediately from day one and be a contributor with LeBron James, with Luka, and be somebody that can thrive from the get-go. That might be asking a lot for a guy who, again, is relatively new to basketball.”
As you may recall, Maluach is currently 18 years old and only started playing basketball at age 13 in 2019. There’s no doubt that his development has been meteoric.
Despite his reservations, Lane didn’t reject Marks’ proposal outright. In his opinion, it should be pursued with an alternative that would be a perfect fit for an illustrious NBA veteran.
“Maybe the Lakers could take their mid-level exception, their taxpayer mid-level, I should say, that $5.7 million and go get, let’s say, Clint Capela… Then you’ve got Clint Capela to be your veteran, the rock that you can kind of lean upon for a year, two years, whatever, while Maluach gets his legs under him, gets used to NBA basketball, grows, all of that.”
“And then you’ve got somebody that’s there, that veteran that can be that more dependable piece.”
What’s undeniable is that Maluach should be very well received at Lakers headquarters if this trade ultimately becomes a reality. Lane was full of praise for his talent.
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“You’re getting somebody who is going to be a lob threat for Luka [Dončić]. You’re getting someone who is going to be anchoring your defense. And there’s no question Maluach is absolutely massive,” he said. “This guy has a 7’6”, almost 7’7” wingspan, 9’6” standing reach. He’s got insanely long arms. He can block shots.”
“He can be a bit of a lob threat for you. Pretty good sitting in the dunker spot. And he’s also somebody that I think could be a long-term riser for the Lakers in that he’s got a lot of upside.”
Bobby Marks’ proposal includes a complex set of player and draft pick trades that would affect nearly a decade of future drafts.
The Lakers would receive the 2025 No. 8 overall pick (from the Nets) and the 2025 No. 36 overall pick (from the Nets).
Meanwhile, the Portland Trail Blazers would receive Dalton Knecht (from Lakers), a 2027 first-round pick (top-4 protected, from Nets via New York Knicks). To round out the trade, the Brooklyn Nets would receive the No. 11 overall pick (from the Blazers) and a 2031 first-round pick (from the Lakers).