Sunday’s Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis swap left an enormous void within the Los Angeles Lakers’ frontcourt. After pulling off one of many extra surprising trades in NBA historical past, basic supervisor Rob Pelinka may have extra strikes on the best way — and the Nets may get entangled.
“Part of the reason why Luka was so effective last year in leading the Mavericks to the NBA Finals was having Derrick Lively and Daniel Gafford, guys who he could have a lob threat to at the rim,” ESPN’s Dave McMenamin stated. “Those guys stayed in Dallas. They didn’t come to LA with Luka. The Lakers would be looking to find a player with a similar skill set as we reach towards Thursday’s trade deadline.”
With the intention to usher in a legit heart, the Lakers could possibly be keen to make use of some mixture of Rui Hachimura/Jarred Vanderbilt/Gabe Vincint/Dorian Finney-Smith and a first-round choose. Portland’s Robert Williams III, Utah’s Walker Kessler, Indiana’s Myles Turner have all been talked about as potential commerce targets for the staff forward of Thursday’s 3 p.m. ET deadline. To no shock, so have Nic Claxton and Day’Ron Sharpe of the Nets.
It is smart why the Lakers would pursue Claxton. He’s solely 25 and matches Doncic’s timeline. He’s a strong pick-and-roll large who could be unlocked with an ideal playmaker. And when he’s locked in and engaged, he’s confirmed to be among the best defensive facilities within the league.
The Nets gave Claxton a four-year, $97 million extension within the offseason and have been anticipating him to take the following step in his improvement. Nevertheless, preseason accidents led to a sluggish begin for him in 2024-25 and his sport has seemingly regressed in quite a few methods. However it’s no secret that he’s in a tough, rebuilding scenario in Brooklyn surrounded by little on-court continuity.
An opportunity in surroundings may result in Claxton’s finest play but at each ends of the courtroom. He carries a $27.5 million cap hit this season and the Lakers would wish to match as a first-apron staff.
Buying Sharpe would in all probability be a less expensive choice for the Lakers. Getting into Tuesday’s video games, the 23-year-old has averaged 7.9 factors, 6.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists in simply 17.3 minutes per sport this season. Whereas Claxton could be considered because the sexier commerce, no Nets frontcourt participant has showcased extra tenacity this season no matter position. He could be wildly impactful when wholesome.
Sharpe has been heating up latest video games, averaging 9.2 factors and 6.9 rebounds on 56.2% capturing over his final 13 appearances. The Lakers have reportedly been monitoring his availability for some time now. And he’s below contract for simply $4 million this season.
