“Pelinka said the Lakers have been ‘super active’ in calls as they ‘turn over every stone’ in hunt for C (Center). Focus turns from draft to free agency ‘and we won’t rest until we get it right’” wrote ‘The Atheltic’s reporter Dan Woike on X a few days ago. Securing Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks was a major move by the Lakers. Unfortunately, it came at the cost of cutting ties with Anthony Davis, and leaving a gap at the Center spot that hasn’t been filled yet. But what are the alternatives?

Anticipation is rising for the Lakers’ front office to make a decision quickly, even though the next NBA season won’t take place for another 4 months. As ESPN’s Shams Charania reported, “Will it be that route, or will it be the trade route? That’s what everyone in L.A., everyone around the league, is waiting on”. As speculation remains, Jovan Buha recently provided his thoughts on the same. ‘The Athletic’ senior reporter paid special focus on the Center discussion. Right off the bat, he made it clear that there are several options in the market that the Lakers can actively pursue. Let us explore some of them.

Which Centers can be sent to the Los Angeles Lakers?

Nic Claxton

According to Jovan Buha, Nic Claxton is currently the best available, and “realistic” center option for the Lakers. After all, as the reporter highlighted, he “checks the most boxes. People overblow his frame, and the post defense, I think, is fine. He’s not like a great post defender, but he’s long, he’s athletic, he can block, he can contest. Uh, so I think he’s more disruptive there than people give him credit for.”

Nic Claxton has several positive things that would work in favor of the Lakers. He is described as a premier shot blocker, an elite lob-catcher, and an excellent rebounder. Being 26 years of age, he is on the same timeline as Luka Doncic. Let’s not forget that Claxton’s 5.3% block percentage this season was the 6th best in the NBA. Therefore, adding him would give the LA franchise size in the interior, a shot blocker, and a big who can rebound, all for the next decade-and-a-half.

Unfortunately, getting Nic Claxton won’t be easy. According to reports, knowing that he is one of the team’s most valuable assets, the Brooklyn Nets are potentially saving him for a really big move, like a potential Giannis Antetokounmpo trade. As ‘The Athletic’ reporter Dan Woike highlighted, “Claxton isn’t thought of as a shoo-in as the answer at the position, and if he costs you your best trade package, is it a gamble worth doing?” On top of that, the fact that the Center averaged just 10.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 2.2 assists speaks against him.

Daniel Gafford

Kind of ironic that the Lakers traded a Center to the Dallas Mavericks to get a scorer, and now they would take a Center from them again. Despite that, Daniel Gafford is a name that cannot be dismissed so easily. With six years of experience in the NBA career, Gafford is more of a Charles Boyle than a Jake Peralta. Not gifted or charismatic, but hard-working, and gets the needed results. He will score in double figures, grab a handful of rebounds, and hold his own defensively in the paint.

Standing at 6-foot-10 big man with a wingspan of 7-foot-2, and listed at 265 pounds, Gafford is known for creating good vertical spacing and a wide catch radius, which is a near synergistic pick-and-roll pairing for a ball handler. In the recent NBA season, he finished at 74.3% in the restricted area and ranked 7th among all centers that attempted a minimum of three per game. If that wasn’t enough, Gafford also averaged 12.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks last season. Therefore, along with a defensive force, the LA Lakers would also be getting a reliable scorer. But will that be an easy task to bring him? Jovan explains.

Unfortunately, as Jovan Buha highlighted, acquiring Daniel Gafford means “trading with Dallas, and I just don’t know if that’s possible, unless I guess it includes LeBron potentially”. Furthermore, as ‘The Athletic’s Don Woike highlighted, “There just remains so much league-wide skepticism that the Mavericks could optically make another trade with the Lakers after the open revolt of the fan base following the Dončić deal”. Yeah, after the Luka Doncic trade, the Lakers need to be careful about their next trade deal with the team, unless they want Mavs fans to start haunting them like John Cena’s character in ‘The Bear’.

DeAndre Ayton

You have to be determined to pursue a change if you agree to a buyout of your contract when you were due to make $35.55 million next season. However, that is exactly what DeAndre Ayton did on Sunday. Free from the Portland Trail Blazers, the player is now on the market, ready to be picked up. While Ayton took a buyout yesterday, Lakers’ Dorian Finney-Smith turned down his player option for the next season. This means that the Lakers are set to have the full midlevel exception available to them, to which Ayton could be a valuable addition.

Lakers also have an advantage in competing for the acquisition with other teams, since his agent, Bill Duffy, is also Luka Doncic’s agent! As highlighted by Pro Football Network, De’Andre Ayton and Luka Dončić would fit together as a pick-and-roll duo. After all, the Center had shown what he could do with the short roll back when he was teamed up with Chris Paul in Phoenix. His specialty, which are the short, 10-foot jumpers, would send the crowd at the Crypto. Arena is on their feet whenever using them to finish shots off Luka Dončić’s passes.

According to Jovan Buha, he has come around to considering a DeAndre Ayton acquisition. Despite that, “the bigger, the biggest issue with him is the salary. Just 35 million. You’re going to have to put Rue in, and I don’t know that I love that”. The Lakers already have a cap space of $221.925 million for the next season, meaning they can’t straightaway acquire the $35.55 million worth star. A framework built around Rui Hachimura’s $18 million salary, combined with other players like Jarred Vanderbilt, Gabe Vincent, or Maxi Kleber, could help.

Robert Williams III

ESPN Insider Bobby Marks was among the first people to propose acquiring Robert Williams III to fulfill the Center needs, although it was part of a bigger picture to instead get Brook Lopez. Despite that, NBA reporter Anthony Irwin reported a few days ago that the Los Angeles Lakers have contacted the Portland Trail Blazers to check on Williams III’s availability.

Williams did not make a memorable impression during the previous NBA season due to his injury issues. Jovan called him a “gamble”, “when he’s healthy he, you could argue, is like third or second on this list. The issue is he’s played 61 games over the past three years. I would just then argue if you’re taking a risk and going for upside”.

When fit to play, Williams has proven himself to be one of the league’s best rim protectors. That, and his range, make him a potentially perfect fit in Los Angeles alongside Luka Doncic. However, the Lakers did not let go of an injury-prone player like Anthony Davis only to have him replaced with another one. The calculation to balance a team isn’t just hard, but luck, too, at times.

Brook Lopez

Bobby Marks wasn’t even interested in Robert Williams III. He wanted to use the Portland Trail Blazers player to get Brook Lopez. After all, according to him, the Lakers needed to do a trade through a two-prong approach, that would see the team “Build depth at center, starting with trading Vincent, Jordan Goodwin, and a second-round pick to Portland for Robert Williams III. [Then] sign Lopez to a one-year, $5.7 million contract.” Well, there is a reason people like Marks are the experts.

Lopez’s 2-year, $48 million deal with the Bucks is set to end soon, after which he will enter free agency. This provides a perfect opportunity for the Lakers to take advantage of. After all, if there was one word analysts could not stop using in the context of the Lakers, it was “small”, thanks to the lack of size at the center position. Who better to solve that than a 7-foot-1 star with 17 years of NBA experience behind him? Furthermore, the lack of rim protection that was abundantly clear in the previous season would be less if Lopez joined the team.

Al Horford

The situation for the Boston Celtics isn’t looking too good at the moment. The same team that was basking in the glory of a championship win last year is figuring out now how to go forward with Jayson Tatum’s Achilles injury, casting doubt on his future availability, and Jaylen Brown is also sidelined as he recovers from a knee surgery.

According to Shams Charania, this opens the door for uncertainty and the chance for rival teams to poach players. Al Horford, as Charania added, “is one of those players as well, and I am told he has a pretty robust free agency market outside of Boston, potentially, this offseason.”

According to Brian Robb of MassLive, a proposed trade would see the Celtics getting Gabe Vincent, Maxi Kleber, and Shake Milton in exchange for Kristaps Porzingis. Having those offensive players would help somewhat cover for Jayson Tatum during his absence. Al Horford’s performance in the recent season was a disappointing one, as he recorded just 9.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game. Despite that, he was still a key piece in the Celtics’ No. 4-ranked defense last season. He can guard multiple positions and, despite the low average, was able to boast a field goal percentage of 42.3% and a 3-point percentage of 36.3%.

Clint Capela

Clint Capela was among the 30 players NBA reporter Eric Pincus listed in his Free Agent Predictions. At 31 years of age, he last boasted a 2-year, $45.881 million contract. Not a number that the Lakers can reach unless they trade some major players.

Capela’s scoring dived this season, going from 65.3 percent from the field in 2022-23 to 55.9 percent in the recent season. What he can’t score, however, he makes up for with double-double production as a 24-minute starter. Furthermore, Capela carries the reputation of a rim-rolling threat, as evident when he came in at 1.06 points per possession as a roll man. His 15.8% offensive rebound percentage last year was second-best only to Walker Kessler.

Unfortunately, Jovan Buha isn’t that enthusiastic about Lopez, Horford, and Capella. After all, according to him, “Lopez is 37 Horford’s 39 Capella’s 31 They all have been declining production-wise for multiple years. Capella’s minutes have gone down seven straight years. Al Horford is the fourth oldest player in the league among rotation guys. Brook Lopez just got benched in the first round of the playoffs against Indiana Like it’s that’s grim, that that’s grim. I can’t really sell you the optimism”.

Walker Kessler

The Los Angeles Lakers front office is considering any and all options, but only a few teams are actually being approached for a discussion. As ESPN’s Dave McMenamin recently revealed, the Lakers were connected to talks for Kessler this past week. Unfortunately, the attempt fell through. That does not mean the team management cannot try again.

Beyond what he brings to the table as a defender, Kessler is sought after due to 2 additional reasons. Being 23 years old, he falls within Luka Doncic’s timeline and can be a long-term Laker. Furthermore, the player is owed only $4.9 million next season. Therefore, less worries about incurring more fines, and more need to pursue other free agents would take over the team.

Kevon Looney

The Golden State Warriors spent the 8th highest amount on salaries during the 2024-25 season. For 2024-25, that amount is even higher, and set at $170.506 million. To avoid crossing the luxury tax limit, the team might make some cuts. As highlighted by ‘Golden State of Mind’ reporter Sean Keane, trading Kevon Looney would save the Warriors around $20 million in salary and tax payments. Additionally, the team would also get out of the repeater tax.

NBA reporter Anthony Irwin was among the first to suggest sending Kevon Looney to the Lakers. Known for being an undersized but tenacious rebounder, Looney would bolster the Lakers’ interior defense thanks to his durability. Furthermore, being a 3x NBA champion, his playoff experience could come in valuable in the postseason.

Each option is an impressive choice that has spent years building up its prowess. Despite that, there is a difference between an impressive choice and the right choice. Whether the Lakers choose the right one is something that remains to be seen.