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Nobody knows what to make of the trade the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks dropped on the sports world Saturday night when the Mavs made the unfathomable decision to trade Luka Doncic to L.A. in exchange for Anthony Davis.
As exciting as the trade was for the Lakers and their rabid fanbase, the move has left them with a massive void in the frontcourt, which is why one insider recently said the team is still active in trade talks for two big men.
Forbes’ Evan Sidery shared on X that the Lakers are still aggressively pursuing athletic rim protectors on the trade market, naming Nic Claxton of the Brooklyn Nets and Robert Williams of the Portland Trail Blazers as two players to keep a close eye on over the next few days.
The Lakers are aggressively pursuing athletic rim protecting centers on the trade market.
Nic Claxton and Robert Williams are two players to keep a very close eye on over the next few days. pic.twitter.com/egjTczdcBF
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) February 2, 2025
Claxton and Williams play for teams that do not intend to compete this season.
The Nets and Blazers are both doing a little bit better than many had anticipated, but they risk hurting their draft stocks in an intriguing 2025 draft class if they don’t find ways to lose a few more games over the second half of the season.
Claxton is still just 25 and is locked down through the 2027-28 season on a 4-year, $97 million deal, while Williams is under contract for just one more year at just under $13.3 million.
Either would be a huge upgrade for a roster that is considering playing Jaxson Hayes and Christian Koloko at center.
It will be interesting to see what the fallout of this massive trade is, but either one of these players would be the ideal next step for the Lakers.
NEXT:Â LeBron James Has Made A Decision About His Future After Big Trade
