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Finding a starting-caliber center to pair with Luka Doncic will be the Los Angeles Lakers' top priority this summer. After trading Anthony Davis, Rob Pelinka's squad was left with a gaping hole at the position during the second half of the season. Despite this, the Lakers aren't expected to include Austin Reaves, their top trade asset, in a deal for a big man, according to Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times.
“The team has shown no interest in using Reaves in a trade that nets them anything less than a top-tier big, and there really aren’t any of those available, with the two most common names linked to them in the earliest stages of the offseason — Brooklyn’s Nic Claxton and Dallas’ Daniel Gafford,” Woike said.
Reaves is coming off a breakout season during which he averaged 20.2 points and 5.8 assists on 46/38/88 shooting splits. He, Darius Garland and Jamal Murray were the NBA's only players to average 20-plus points and five-plus assists on such splits or better.
It's understandable why the Lakers won't include Reaves in a deal for Claxton or Gafford, both of whom are solid players but fall well short of star status. But do they have enough to swing a deal for either big man while holding onto him?
Can Lakers acquire Nic Claxton or Daniel Gafford with Austin Reaves off the table?
The answer will ultimately depend on how the Nets and Mavericks value the Lakers' distant draft picks.
With Reaves off the table, Los Angeles' offer for Claxton or Gafford would likely center on their 2031 first-round pick, Dalton Knecht and expiring salary fillers such as Gabe Vincent and/or Maxi Kleber. They could also include a 2030 first-round pick swap.
That's not a terrible package on the surface. However, the Lakers have made the playoffs in 38 of the last 49 seasons, a poor sign for teams betting against their future outlook.
Knecht showed flashes early this season. However, he was a 24-year-old rookie who ultimately couldn't crack the Lakers' rotation and was traded at the deadline for Mark Williams in a deal that was later rescinded.
Claxton is coming off a down year after signing a four-year, $97 million contract last summer. However, he was among the NBA's top defensive centers over the prior two seasons and would provide a high-level lob threat alongside Doncic. The 26-year-old has three years left on a reasonable contract that will pay him below 14 percent of the salary cap in its final two years.
Gafford had another productive campaign with the Mavericks in 2023-24, averaging 12.3 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in 21.5 minutes per game. The 26-year-old shot 70.2 percent from the field, the NBA's second-highest mark among players to attempt over four shots per game, behind only Jarrett Allen.
However, the Mavericks have a crowded frontcourt that already features Davis and Dereck Lively. Gafford is in the final year of his contract, potentially adding to Dallas' urgency to find a trade partner.
The NBA trade market will gain clarity in the lead-up to the draft and free agency. Los Angeles' pursuit of its starting center will be a main storyline to monitor.
