The Los Angeles Lakers were close to acquiring center Mark Williams from the Charlotte Hornets before the NBA’s February trade deadline in an effort to give Luka Doncic a frontcourt partner. However, the deal collapsed—either because Williams didn’t pass a physical or the Lakers backed out, depending on which account you believe.
What is certain is that the Lakers plan to aggressively target a rim-protecting, lob-catching big man this offseason to pair with Doncic. One notable name on the trade market is Nic Claxton of the Brooklyn Nets.
On the May 2 episode of ESPN’s Brian Windhorst & the Hoop Collective podcast, Kevin Pelton identified Claxton as a prime candidate for L.A., citing his favorable four-year, $97 million contract that runs through the 2027–28 season.
“Claxton fits the mold of what you’d want alongside Luka, especially on a rebuilding team like Brooklyn,” Pelton explained. “The challenge is his $25.3 million salary next season, which is tough for the Lakers to match—they’d likely have to move three players to make it work.”
The Lakers do have one first-round pick and up to four pick swaps available to help facilitate a deal. Still, they’d need to match salaries to approach Claxton’s $25.3 million figure for the 2025–26 season.
Brooklyn is expected to prioritize players on expiring contracts to stay competitive in the draft lottery for 2026 and to clear salary space for that summer’s free agency period.
Claxton, 26, has averaged 10.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.7 blocks per game over his six seasons in the NBA.
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