The Los Angeles Lakers, from top to bottom, didn't play well against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the 2025 Western Conference playoffs.
For a Lakers team that added Luka Doncic in the middle of the season, the hope was for them to be championship contenders. Unfortunately, Doncic was a liability on the defensive side of the ball, and the Lakers' lack of a center didn't help.
JJ Redick didn't perform well in his first playoff series, either, making it a total disaster all around for Los Angeles.
However, one thing was clear: the Lakers needed better center play. This team can't continue to play Jaxson Hayes, and that was evident, as Redick benched him for much of the series.
In a proposed trade idea from Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report, they'd find a center in the form of Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton, who would be a perfect addition for this team.
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"L.A.'s need for a new center is both obvious and enormous. Once Anthony Davis skipped town, and the Mark Williams deal didn't happen, the Lakers were stuck relying on the unreliable Jaxson Hayes to man the middle. That cannot be the case moving forward. And it shouldn't be since L.A. has enough trade chips to get a decent-or-better option at the 5 spot.
"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," Buckley wrote.
Claxton has been a decent player throughout his career, and he's above-average defensively, perhaps the most significant need for the Lakers, averaging 2.5 blocks per game in the 2022-23 season.
Currently playing on a four-year, $97 million deal, the Lakers would likely have to part ways with a few young players and a pick or two.