The Los Angeles Lakers are operating under mounting pressure to fill a glaring hole in their roster: a starting-caliber center. But that urgency may be their biggest obstacle. According to ClutchPoints’ Anthony Irwin, rival teams are exploiting the Lakers’ need, making trade talks more difficult than anticipated.
“The worst spot you can put yourself in is trying to negotiate while everyone knows about your desperation,” a former NBA executive told Irwin. “The whole league knows that not only do the Lakers need a starting center and probably a backup, but they need to bring someone in who Luka Doncic is going to want to play with.”
Los Angeles Lakers’ Desperation for a Center Hurting Trade Leverage, Sources Say
Since trading Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks in February, L.A.’s frontcourt has been exposed. Jaxson Hayes assumed the starting role but struggled in the playoffs, including a DNP in Game 5 of their first-round exit. With Hayes headed toward free agency, LA is prioritizing a trade for a starting big man, hoping to use their $5.7 million taxpayer mid-level exception on a reliable backup.
Irwin reports that the Lakers have explored deals for Brooklyn’s Nic Claxton, Portland’s Robert Williams III, and Utah’s Walker Kessler. Free agent possibilities like Brook Lopez and Clint Capela are also under consideration. However, the broader perception of the Lakers’ front office missteps — particularly its mishandling of the center position in recent years — has put the franchise in a weakened negotiating position.
“Sources close to the Lakers and around the league say that trade talks have not gone as they would have liked,” Irwin noted, “because teams are once again trying to benefit directly from the Lakers’ bungling of the center position and mishandling of their assets over the last few years.”
Some around the league believe there’s a so-called “Lakers tax” — a premium L.A. must pay in deals due to rival GMs’ reluctance to help the league’s most high-profile franchise. With limited trade capital — one future first-round pick, several pick swaps, and expiring deals like Rui Hachimura and Gabe Vincent — LA must act quickly and wisely.
Doncic can opt out next summer. The clock is ticking.