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Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura.

It’s not a surprise that the Los Angeles Lakers were a better team after they traded for Luka Doncic, but not many expected to be title contenders. That was mainly due to the fact that Anthony Davis was their starting center but he was sent to the Dallas Mavericks.

While Jaxson Hayes has played better than expected, the Lakers need to upgrade at center in the offseason. Some notable centers like Myles Turner, Clint Capela and Brook Lopez will be unrestricted free agents but the Lakers may look at younger options on the trade market.

The Brooklyn Nets are one of the worst teams in the NBA and center Nic Claxton is one of their better assets. Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report pitched a trade that would have Los Angeles send Rui Hachimura, Dalton Knecht, a future first-round pick and a future first-round pick swap to the Nets for Claxton.

“They made that since-rescinded trade for Mark Williams for a reason,” Buckley wrote in an April 7 column. “A defense with Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and a 40-year-old LeBron James on the perimeter is crying out for paint protection. An offense with those three creators, meanwhile, can maximize a close-range finisher. Claxton, a career 63.5 percent shooter who’s about to crack the top 10 in blocks in per game for the third time in six seasons, checks both boxes with ease.”

This Would Be a Steep Price for Claxton

The Lakers would have to be very high on Claxton to make this deal. This is even more than they were giving up when they were trying to trade for Mark Williams.

Claxton only averages 10.3 points a game and poses no threat as a 3-point shooter. He’s a strong rim protector and it’s easy to see his scoring number going way up playing with Doncic and LeBron James.

However, giving up a key rotational piece, a promising rookie and major draft capital is a steep price to pay. The Lakers would have to be banking on Claxton taking a big leap playing in their offense. That would be a pretty big risk to take.

Would Nets Make This Trade?

The Nets are going nowhere fast and it seems like they might be in a perpetual rebuild since losing the trio of Kyrie Irving, James Harden and Kevin Durant. Claxton is one of their more promising building blocks

That said, if the Lakers come to them with the package that Buckley is pitching, they’d have to listen.

“They’re about to wrap up their second consecutive season with a sub-.400 winning percentage,” Buckley wrote. “And despite the losing, they’re woefully short on young, blue-chip talent. This asset-rich return could help change that, no matter if Brooklyn would view Knecht and the draft picks as keepers or trade chips.”

The quickest way the Nets are going to get better is if they add stars in trades or land a blue-chip prospect in the draft. This Lakers deal helps them get some more tradeable assets while also giving him draft capital.