The Los Angeles Lakers’ bold gamble on Deandre Ayton has failed to deliver the transformative impact they envisioned when they traded away Anthony Davis. What was supposed to be a seamless plug-and-play solution at center has instead left the franchise searching for a better fit — and a proposed blockbuster trade could hand them exactly that.
Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz has laid out a compelling blueprint: the Lakers should strike a deal for Brooklyn Nets shot-blocking lob threat Nic Claxton, a player who would instantly reconnect with Luka Dončić in the same devastating pick-and-roll chemistry they once shared in Dallas.
The trade, as outlined by Swartz, would look like this:
Lakers receive: C Nic Claxton Nets receive: F Dalton Knecht, F Jarred Vanderbilt, 2026 first-round pick (projected No. 25 overall)
“After making a whopping five first-round selections in 2025, the Nets only own one first-rounder this summer. Trading one of the remaining veterans in Claxton to the Lakers would land Brooklyn another good prospect for a franchise in the middle of a rebuild. Knecht, 24, was also the No. 17 overall pick in 2024. Claxton gives the Lakers a better option at center over Deandre Ayton, someone who can be a defensive anchor, finish lobs from Luka Dončić and not complain about his role,” Swartz wrote.
Through the current season, Claxton is posting 12 points, 7.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.2 blocks per game in 28.5 minutes. The scoring output mirrors Ayton’s, yet the advanced impact tells a dramatically different story: superior playmaking, elite rim protection and a defensive presence that transforms the paint.
While Claxton carries a significantly larger contract — two years remaining on a four-year, $97 million extension after this season — his statistical production and intangible leadership more than justify the investment. Unlike Ayton, who has struggled to mesh with the Lakers’ system, Claxton arrives as a proven lob-finisher who thrives alongside a star creator like Dončić.
For a Lakers roster desperate to stabilise the centre position and maximise Dončić’s brilliance, this move would represent far more than a simple upgrade. It would install a $97 million defensive anchor who actually fits the timeline, the scheme and the superstar alongside him.
The Western Conference has already been put on notice. If the Lakers pull the trigger on this deal, the silent nightmare begins — 12 PPG of pure, lob-throwing dominance is coming to Los Angeles.