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Lakers Showing Most Interest in Two Center Targets

Originally posted on Los Angeles Lakers on SI
By Alex Kirschenbaum | Last updated May 16, 2025 7:00 PM ET

The Los Angeles Lakers appear to have a top two wishlist for their next starting center.

After getting rudely excommunicated out of the playoffs by the Minnesota Timberwolves, in a 4-1 series, a few things became clear about the club's current roster construction.

Head coach JJ Redick looked to be completely in over his head, at one point using five players for the entirety of the second half in Game 4 — marking the first time this had ever happened in a playoff game. Understandably, everyone looked gassed by the end of regulation, and the game got away from them.

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In terms of personnel, the Lakers were sorely lacking an interior presence to both defend the rim and score around it. They've been missing this component since trading away five-time All-Defensive Team center Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks, as part of a blockbuster package for Luka Doncic, in February.

Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times, who's currently on the ground at the Chicago NBA Draft Combine, has been hearing two center names get most frequently linked to the Lakers as trade fits: Dallas Mavericks center Daniel Gafford, Doncic's old running mate, and Brooklyn Nets big man Nic Claxton.

Talked to a ton of people at the Combine in Chicago about the Lakers, about what they’ll try to do, the challenges they face and, oh yeah, that job posting https://t.co/InHDNQ0Lt2
— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) May 16, 2025

Gafford would make a lot of sense. He and Doncic meshed quickly in Dallas last season, en route to an NBA Finals berth.

The Mavericks now have a crowded frontcourt, one seemingly destined to get even more overpopulated when the team uses its No. 1 overall pick on Duke power forward Cooper Flagg in next month's 2025 NBA Draft. Gafford will be in the final year of his current deal, but with Dereck Lively II having taken his starting role midway through the season, Gafford seems likely to be the team's fourth big man.

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In his 57 healthy games for Dallas last year, the 26-year-old Arkansas product posted averages of 12.3 points on 70.2 percent field goal shooting and 68.9 percent free throw shooting, 6.8 rebounds, 1.8 blocks and 1.4 asssits a night.

The 6-foot-11 Claxton, also 26, has a higher sticker tag than Gafford, and may cost L.A. more pieces to acquire than Gafford. He had something of a down year in 2024-25, averaging 10.3 points on 56.3 percent field goal shooting and 51.3 percent free throw shooting, 7.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.4 blocks per bout.

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This article first appeared on FanNation All Lakers and was syndicated with permission.

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