It’s no secret what the Lakers’ biggest need is this offseason: they’re on the hunt to fortify their big man room.
General Manager Rob Pelinka has spoken of the team’s big man need for months since sending Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks in the trade that brought Luka Doncic to Los Angeles, including as recently as the day after the Lakers’ season ended.
“We know this offseason, one of our primary goals is going to be to add size in our frontcourt at the center position,” Pelinka said during his joint end-of-season media availability with Coach JJ Redick on May 1. “That’s going to be part of the equation. We know we have a lot of work to do on the roster, and it will look different next year, for sure.”
Pelinka also addressed the type of center they’ll be looking for.
“In terms of center traits, it would be great to have a center that was a vertical threat, lob threat, and someone that could protect the interior defensively,” he added. “Those would be key. But there’s multiple different types of centers that can be very effective in the league.
“There’s also spread centers that can protect the rim. We’ll look at those as well. I wouldn’t want to limit the archetype, but we know we need a big man.”
With Jaxson Hayes, who finished 2024-25 as the Lakers’ starting center, slated for unrestricted free agency and the team not having a center under contract for 2025-26 entering the offseason, the Lakers could use multiple big men.
The shocking acquisition of Doncic is the latest example that no NBA trade is impossible, but it’s unlikely the Lakers will be able to add an All-Star-level big man this offseason.
But who would be realistic targets? Here are a few potential players to keep an eye on:
1. Daniel Gafford, Dallas (trade)
The two names that get brought up the most when discussing big men targets for the Lakers this summer are Dallas’ Daniel Gafford and Brooklyn’s Nic Claxton.
And the Gafford connection is easy to see.
Doncic and Gafford were teammates in Dallas for about a year, instantly establishing chemistry during the Mavericks’ run to the 2024 NBA Finals. Gafford averaged 11.2 points (78% shooting), 6.9 rebounds and 1.9 blocked shots in 29 regular-season games (21.5 minutes) with Dallas last season. He averaged 12 points (72.6% shooting), 6.1 rebounds and 1.2 blocked shots in 29 games (20.2 minutes) with the Mavericks this season before Doncic played his last game with Dallas on Dec. 25.
The 6-foot-10, 265-pound Gafford is entering the final season of a three-year, $40 million contract that will pay him about $14.4 million in 2025-26. Gafford, 26, reportedly wants to get paid like a starting center – a report he refuted. But with Dallas also having Davis and Dereck Lively, who will become eligible for a contract extension next summer, already on the roster, it’s unlikely that the Mavericks would be able (or willing) to pay three big men significant salaries.
Gafford’s salary for next season would make it easier for the Lakers to acquire him in a trade without having to give up a starter. But there are also questions about whether the Mavericks would be willing to make another trade with the Lakers in light of the aftermath of the Doncic trade with their fan base. And the Lakers would need assurances that Gafford would stay with the franchise beyond the 2025-26 season if they traded for him.
2. Nic Claxton, Brooklyn (trade)
Claxton is arguably the best center the Lakers could add to their roster during the offseason.
He has averaged 11.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists and a pair of blocked shots over the last three seasons as the Nets’ full-time starting center.
The 6-foot-11, 215-pounder is one of the league’s best rim protectors and can switch out and guard on the perimeter. He’s also an elite finisher at the rim and a good screener, making him an ideal pairing for the Lakers’ ball handlers.
Claxton, 26, has a $25.4 million salary for 2025-26 as part of the four-year, $97 million contract that started this past season, meaning the Lakers would have to send out more high-salaried players in a trade for Claxton compared to Gafford. Claxton signed a descending contract, meaning he’ll take up less cap space annually over the course of his deal.
3. Clint Capela (unrestricted free agent)
Capela, 31, has declined as a player over the last couple of seasons.
His 2024-25 averages of 8.9 points, 8.5 rebounds, a blocked shot and 21.4 minutes were his lowest marks since early in his career. Onyeka Okongwu took over the Atlanta Hawks’ starting center spot from Capela in late January before Capela missed the final month of the season because of a ligament injury in his left hand.
But Capela is still a reliable defender, especially near the rim, and he could be a low-minute starter or high-minute reserve. He’s not a good long-term starting center solution, but he could be a good candidate for the $5.7 million taxpayer mid-level exception the Lakers will have at their disposal.
Honorable mentions: Orlando’s Goga Bitadze (two years, $15.3 million for 2025-27); Brooklyn’s Day’Ron Sharpe (potential restricted free agent); Luke Kornet (unrestricted free agent); Larry Nance Jr. (unrestricted free agent); Precious Achiuwa (unrestricted free agent).