Could Brooklyn Nets' Nic Claxton Become Luka Doncic’s Next Lob Threat on the Lakers?

Not even one full season after inking him to a four-year, $97 million deal last summer, Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton became the subject of trade rumors. After the Los Angeles Lakers shipped Anthony Davis to Dallas for Luka Doncic, the team was in desperate need for a big man, and Claxton was seemingly a prime target.

Eventually, the Lakers and GM Rob Pelinka agreed to a trade that would have landed Mark Williams—a transaction that was ultimately voided due to concerns about Williams' injury history. Los Angeles' other target, Jonas Valanciunas, moved from Washington to Sacramento, leaving Doncic with Jaxson Hayes as his starting five-man.

Heading into a pivotal offseason in Brooklyn, could the buzz around Claxton becoming a Laker resume? Zack Buckley of Bleacher Report believes so.

In a proposed mock trade, the Nets receive Rui Hachimura, Dalton Knecht, a future first-round pick and a future first-round pick swap in exchange for Claxton, giving Doncic his latest lob threat. Fans saw Dereck Lively II flourish in his rookie season as Doncic's go-to pick-and-roll specialist with the Mavericks, but the Lakers have yet to see a player elevate into a similar role.

Whiole the move makes sense from a basketball standpoint, the business side doesn't stand as tall. Why would the Nets—a team amid a full-blown rebuild in need of maintaining their young talent—move off of their longest-tenured player who they extended not even 12 months ago? Why would the Lakers—a team with an eventual LeBron James retirement announcement looming in the coming seasons—risk giving up future assets when the only certain post-James is Doncic?

Well, each team would do so for the exact same reason Dallas parted with Doncic in the first place. Sometimes, executives make stunning moves. Whether they prove to be good ones always comes down to hindsight, but there's always logical reasoning behind blockbuster trades—even if that logic is way off.

Going off of pure basketball fit, giving Doncic a lanky, athletic, traditional inside center makes perfect sense. And, if and only if, Los Angeles can provide admirable compensation that Brooklyn GM Sean Marks believes is fair, than the hypothetical deal makes perfect sense for them too.

Rehardless of how the Lakers' postseason pans out, they're clearly not done making moves—and that reality could play right into the Nets' future.