Lakers are thinking big: Assessing the pros and cons of 22 centers Los Angeles could add this NBA offseason – https://t.co/oxGFeoO02H https://t.co/VlaUG2eOgB— LakerTom (@LakerTom) June 13, 2025
Pros and cons of 22 centers Lakers are considering
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June 13, 2025 1 Comment
FROM THE ABOVE ARTICLE:
So… what should the Lakers do?
Only a handful of the trade candidates are worth the meager draft capital the Lakers have remaining. If there’s a path to Allen, take it. He’s an All-Star. But that’s unlikely.
If there’s a path to Kessler? He’s probably the bubble candidate. It would probably take everything the Lakers have — 2031 unprotected, 2026, 2030 and 2032 swaps and the removal of the top-four protection on 2027 already going to Utah — to get him. That sort of trade is an all-in push. For that to be justifiable, one of two things probably needs to happen: either LeBron James takes a pay cut to open up the full mid-level exception, or the Jazz take on a contract (ideally Jarred Vanderbilt, acceptably Maxi Kleber) to accomplish the same goal. If the Lakers are going all-in here and now, they need to get enough bang for their buck.
Claxton might be worth the 2031 pick on its own, but without the immediate benefit of the low cap figure this year and with less room to grow for the long haul, shouldn’t get the swaps or Knecht in a deal. However, given Brooklyn’s cap flexibility, perhaps there’s a compromise here where the Nets get more draft capital but also help the Lakers clear that full mid-level.
These are the only scenarios in which I’d consider moving the 2031 pick. Otherwise, I’m holding it, waiting until next summer, and shopping around with it and the 2033 pick that unlocks then. If the pick isn’t moving and the Lakers can’t find a way to access the full mid-level exception, the first order of business should be using the tax mid-level for one of the free agents we covered. Kornet is probably the best of the five, but Capela seems to be the likeliest based on the reporting thus far. He at least has a track record as a starter, though given the decline he’s shown of late and just how favorably the numbers view Kornet, I suspect Capela is a less valuable player next season.
If the Lakers sign one of these mid-level centers, it has to be as part of a platoon. Ayton is probably the most appealing of the cheaper trade options, just given the upside he brings, but making the money work without Rui Hachimura in the deal would be tough. Would the Lakers take that plunge? Probably only as a last resort. A deal centered around Knecht and Bitadze would be preferable at that point, and a third team could be looped in to help out financially. That would also leave the Lakers with a matching salary leftover at the deadline. If they wanted to dangle their 2031 pick for help on the perimeter, then they could do so.
The truth is, there’s no single path that makes sense for the Lakers. They need multiple centers, and it’s not clear how gettable some of the best players on this list will be. For now, the Lakers are likely negotiating for several of them. They will adapt based on what’s available, and there are dozens of viable paths they could take. In the end, though, it’d be pretty surprising if one or two of these players isn’t on the team next season. Adding centers is the single most important goal for the Lakers this offseason.