The Los Angeles Lakers enter the offseason with several burning questions, but none bigger than how they will address their glaring need for a center. When Rob Pelinka traded Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks for Luka Dončić, he accepted that the move left the team without a legitimate big man.
The Lakers initially struck a deal with the Charlotte Hornets for Mark Williams but later rescinded it due to health concerns. Despite earning the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference, JJ Redick’s squad had its biggest weakness exposed by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the playoffs.
The lack of a true post presence caught up to L.A. on both ends of the court, and as they look to address it, Rui Hachimura and Maxi Kleber could be shipped for a star Brooklyn Nets center.
Lakers Predicted to Ship Rui Hachimura, Maxi Kleber to Brooklyn Nets
Los Angeles traded Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round pick for Dončić, Maxi Kleber, and Markieff Morris. Davis was the team’s starting center, and after Williams’ deal fell through, that role was taken by Jaxson Hayes.
However, Hayes averaged just 6.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks per game, and it’s clear now he isn’t the solution. Even clearer is that LA’s front office can’t waste another year of LeBron James and Dončić’s window as a star duo. That’s where Brooklyn Nets big man Nic Claxton comes in.
Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey recently proposed a blockbuster trade between the Lakers and Nets that would bring Claxton to Los Angeles (PFSN’s Brandon Austin also proposed a similar trade). The Nets will receive Hachimura, Kleber, and a 2031 first-round pick for Claxton, and the two teams will also swap their 2028 first-round picks.
“The Lakers adding a starting-caliber center might be the single most obvious move on the board for this summer,” Bailey wrote. “And because L.A. didn’t have to pay anywhere near Luka’s full value to acquire him, they have plenty of trade fodder to land a big man.
Nic Claxton’s 2022-23 season was a defensive masterclass pic.twitter.com/WFAW4TOhU7
— Brooklyn Netcast (@BrooklynNetcast) May 26, 2025
“This one sends the Nets salary-matching contracts, including one (Rui Hachimura’s) that could be flipped to a contender for more assets, a first-round pick swap and a first-round pick. That’s solid value for a 26-year-old center who’s struggled to produce at the same level he did when he was surrounded by stars.
“With the Lakers, Claxton could get back to the volume of rim running and rim protecting he did in 2022-23, when he averaged 12.6 points, 9.2 rebounds and 2.5 blocks, shot a league-leading 70.5 percent from the field and finished top-10 in Defensive Player of the Year voting.”
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Claxton’s appeal to the Lakers is apparent. He’s a rim-runner who can finish alley-oop passes from Dončić, and he doesn’t need the ball in his hands to make an impact.
He averaged 1.4 blocks per game in 2024 (10th in the NBA), and his defensive box plus/minus of 1.5 ranked 19th among NBA players, a clear upgrade from what the Lakers have now.
The 26-year-old inked a four-year, $97 million contract extension last summer and is set to carry a cap hit of $25.3 million for the 2025 season. With three years left on his deal, the Lakers wouldn’t have to worry about locking him down long term.
