The Los Angeles Lakers‘ problems with the big man rotation have been noted since the offseason. Although the team attempted to address these by pairing Luka Doncic with Deandre Ayton, recent performances suggest that this hasn’t played out as intended.
While Ayton’s future in Los Angeles hangs in the balance, Lakers insider Jovan Buha recently addressed how Luka Doncic had prioritized a list of big men that he wanted to play with during his first meeting with Rob Pelinka. While speaking on the matter on “Buha’s Block,” the insider reported:
“They just traded for Luka; they have the meeting in Rob’s office with ‘Which centers do you want to play with?’ Several of the centers on the list were Walker Kessler, Jalen Duren, and, I believe, Nic Claxton was also on that list. They tried to get all three of those guys with the Dalton Knecht package, but they did not get any of them. The one guy they were able to land was Mark Williams, who I do believe was lower on the list overall. [Onyeka] Okongwu was also on that list. They were not able to get Okongwu either.”
Buha revealed this information in response to a question regarding the Lakers’ current hesitation to part with a first-round pick compared to when they acquired Luka Doncic. The insider noted that before Doncic signed his contract, the pressure on Pelinka to form a title-winning squad was considerably greater. Since the outlook has shifted toward building for the future, the Purple and Gold are being more conservative now.
“I don’t think there’s a lot of pressure right now to do stuff,” Buha continued. “I think there should be the urgency that we need to maximize this dude [Luka Doncic], but maybe it’s a bluff. Maybe they do trade the first-round pick… But I kind of feel like they’re good at avoiding the urgency in terms of making moves.”
Still, the players mentioned in Luka Doncic’s list certainly position themselves as formidable pick-and-roll partners for the Lakers superstar. While Jalen Duren firmly cemented himself as a valuable asset for the Detroit Pistons, L.A. still made a noteworthy attempt to acquire Walker Kessler and Nic Claxton in the offseason, only to come up short.
At the current juncture, questions have been raised about whether the team can be successful with Deandre Ayton as Luka Doncic’s running mate. While he is averaging 13.4 points and 8.6 rebounds per game this season, his inconsistent impact and tendency to disappear during stretches of the game are concerning.
The Doncic-Ayton pairing seems to have run its course, as the Purple and Gold seem keen to make some roster changes. On that note, the Lakers’ trade assets ahead of the deadline enable them to formulate a convincing package to upgrade their big man rotation.
Although acquiring Walker Kessler is also out of the question, with the Jazz center sidelined for the season with a shoulder injury, recent rumors have seen links with Nic Claxton generate some traction again.
For several reasons, Claxton is positioned as one of the best trade targets for the Lakers, primarily due to his rim-protection ability and potential to be a consistent lob threat. With averages of 12.6 points and 7.5 rebounds per game this season, Claxton may not seem as productive as Ayton, but his impact on the floor could be considered greater.
While trade scenarios to acquire Claxton have been formulated, there are some inherent challenges involved. Given the sheer size of his contract (three years, $69.4 million), the Lakers may be forced to part with multiple valuable assets to make a deal.
At 28-17 on the season, L.A. faces the need to establish itself as one of the top teams in the West. To contend for the title, the Lakers may benefit from taking a more aggressive approach toward making deals to bring in more support for Luka Doncic before the deadline.
