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Home > NBA News & Analysis > Los Angeles Lakers News & Analysis > Lakers’ Targets For Starting And Backup Center Roles Revealed

Lakers’ Targets For Starting And Backup Center Roles Revealed

The Lakers have their eyes on some notable names as they look to get a starter and a backup at the center position this offseason.

Gautam Varier
Jun 18, 2025
4 Min Read
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Mandatory Credit: Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Lakers‘ first-round exit at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves made it clear that the franchise desperately needed an upgrade at the center position. The Lakers are expected to address that problem this offseason, and team insider Anthony Irwin revealed the players they are targeting.

“Sources close to the team reiterated that the internal plan is to trade for their starting center – sources say they’ve held conversations with other teams about Nic Claxton, Robert Williams, Walker Kessler and others – then, ideally, use the taxpayer midlevel on his backup – Brook Lopez and Clint Capela are the two names most often linked to the Lakers. It’s a solid plan that they’re considered likely to be able to execute.”

It appears that the Brooklyn Nets‘ Nic Claxton, the Portland Trail Blazers‘ Robert Williams, and the Utah Jazz‘s Walker Kessler are three players the Lakers are looking at to be their starter next season.

Claxton averaged 10.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 0.9 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game for the Nets in 2024-25. The 26-year-old isn’t a force on offense, but he would greatly help the Lakers defensively. We came up with a three-team mock trade that would see them land not just Claxton, but also Jonathan Kuminga.

While Claxton would be a great acquisition, the same cannot really be said about Williams, and that has nothing to do with his play on the court. The 27-year-old averaged 5.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.7 steals, and 1.7 blocks per game for the Trail Blazers in an injury-hit 2024-25 campaign.

Williams only played in 20 games for the Trail Blazers this season, and this was after featuring just six times in his first season with the franchise. The injury risk is just too great here. A healthy Williams would be a great addition from a defensive standpoint, but you wouldn’t fancy his chances of remaining injury-free for an entire campaign.

Kessler was the last of three players Irwin mentioned and would be the best addition among them. He averaged 11.1 points, 12.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.6 steals, and 2.4 blocks per game for the Jazz in 2024-25.

Like Claxton and Williams, Kessler doesn’t have much of an offensive game but is a terrific defender. The Lakers’ potential package for him would center around Dalton Knecht and their 2031 first-round pick, and time will tell if the Jazz find that acceptable.

The Lakers are also interested in bringing in a quality backup, and that would especially be a good idea if they go after Williams. Irwin pointed to Clint Capela and Brook Lopez as two players they’re interested in for that role.

Capela averaged 8.9 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.6 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game for the Atlanta Hawks in 2024-25. We named Capela as one of the players the Lakers should target with their mid-level exception, and he’d be a solid addition.

Lopez, meanwhile, averaged 13.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.6 steals, and 1.9 blocks per game for the Milwaukee Bucks in 2024-25. The Lakers have been linked with the big man, who actually played for them in 2017-18, for quite some time now, but have been unable to acquire him. Will that finally change this offseason? We’ll have to wait and watch. 

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ByGautam Varier
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Gautam Varier is a staff writer and columnist for Fadeaway World from Mumbai, India. He graduated from Symbiosis International University with a Master of Business specializing in Sports Management in 2020. This educational achievement enables Gautam to apply sophisticated analytical techniques to his incisive coverage of basketball, blending business acumen with sports knowledge.Before joining Fadeaway World in 2022, Gautam honed his journalistic skills at Sportskeeda and SportsKPI, where he covered a range of sports topics with an emphasis on basketball. His passion for the sport was ignited after witnessing the high-octane offense of the Steve Nash-led Phoenix Suns. Among the Suns, Shawn Marion stood out to Gautam as an all-time underrated NBA player. Marion’s versatility as a defender and his rebounding prowess, despite being just 6’7”, impressed Gautam immensely. He admired Marion’s finishing ability at the rim and his shooting, despite an unconventional jump shot, believing that Marion’s skill set would have been even more appreciated in today’s NBA.This transformative experience not only deepened his love for basketball but also shaped his approach to sports writing, enabling him to connect with readers through vivid storytelling and insightful analysis.
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