The Lakers NEW Center is Becoming SO OBVIOUS and Here’s Why..

The Lakers NEW Center is Becoming SO OBVIOUS and Here’s Why..

[Music] The Lakers need a center. We know it. The Lakers know it. The entire NBA knows it. They’re going to be targeting a center, if not multiple of them, this summer. However, which one actually can they target either on the free agent market or the trade market and actually have enough assets or spending power to acquire? Well, in my opinion, there’s really not too many of them. It’s really not that difficult to figure out if we’re looking at it realistically. So, we’re going to talk about their most realistic targets, both on the free agent market and then a couple on the trade market. Even though no trade is ever incredibly likely to happen, we’ll talk about a couple that might be a little bit more likely to happen. But before we get too far into it, if you want more NBA content for me and clips to my main channel and my second channel, then don’t forget to check out JSM Clips. That’s where I post the most important parts and clips to my videos, little uploads that might not make sense to make into a long- form video, and simply clips that you might miss from my channels. So, I’d really appreciate it if you checked it out and hit that subscribe button. But now getting back to our topic and talking about realistic targets and what actually makes a target realistic for the Lakers in regard for agency that would be their spending power and what player actually fits into that which is any player that’s likely to make under about 5.5 million next season aka at or below the tax pyramid level exception which is likely the biggest contract they have to offer unless LeBron would take a pay cut which is not very likely at this point. So, with that in mind here, looking at the free agent list and who would be at the very top of that again, roughly $5.6 million salary next season, I think we’re looking at two veteran players here. Number one being Brook Lopez and number two being Clink Capella. We’ve heard about both them being linked to the Purple and Gold both in prior years and even throughout the past month here. And I definitely would not be shocked by it. For one, they’re both declining and therefore likely won’t make as much money nor command a long-term contract. in. Well, that would definitely fit into what the Lakers have to offer. Again, the tax pyramid level exception is worth roughly 5.6 million next season and can only be offered up to a 2-year contract. So, that would fit the timeline of both of them. Now, you can pick or choose which one would be your favorite, but they both do offer something different and something the Lakers could use on the court. Yes, Brook Lopez might be 37, but he’s still one of the best floor spacing rim protecting big men, if not one of the best in the entire league. last season shot roughly 37% from three on a very high volume of three-point shot attempts for a big man. Very efficient, very effective. And then defensively remains one of the best frame protectors in the entire league. Now, unfortunately, he is definitely not a switchable defender. Really can’t move his feet side to side at this point and definitely not a good perimeter defender. So, that is a drawback with him. Also, the fact that again he is 37. So, you never know when the fall-off might come still has been pretty effective, but that can only take about a month or two and he could show more decline from this point. So, got to be a little bit weary with Brook Lopez. I’d maybe willing to offer him that contract. Definitely would prefer a veteran minimum here, but probably can’t get him for that price. However, I do think he’s a very realistic target and a guy they’re definitely taking a look at according to reports. Now, it’s not the first time and probably not the last time they will be linked to Brook Lopez. And not to mention the fact that he already played for their team back in 2017 2018. So, there is a prior relationship there with him, albeit maybe not a great one, as they didn’t resign him. But, there is something to look back on here. Not only from a prior relationship, but also many, many reports and rumors that have linked him to their team. So, might it be time for a reunion? That’s up for debate, but he would fit a few of their needs. And simply put, they do need a center. So, I’d be happy to get him for their backup center. Probably wouldn’t love it for a starting level center. Would prefer that to come via trade and for a better long-term fit for their team. Definitely a better law threat to pair with Luconic. That’s something that Brook Lopez really isn’t. Can be an occasional lot threat, I guess. I mean, he is 7’1 and does have a very tall standing reach, but he’s not that athletic. Isn’t a switchable defender. Can offer floor spacing. can offer rain protection, but it’s not the complete package and not the perfect fit for them in my opinion. Although not a bad fit. But then for the other option, like I said, I think this would be Clinkapella. I mean, for better or worse here, he will fall into their price range. The guy made roughly 20 million and actually more than that last season and he definitely won’t be getting offered that again. Now being 31, definitely declining both in regard to athletic ability and on defense. He’s going downhill and so will his price range do which might benefit a team like the Lakers. Even with him declining, he still does offer something on the court. Is a very good lob thread yet. I wish he had better hands, but does have a good vertical leap. Definitely is kind of a polar opposite and especially offensively compared to Brook Lopez. Isn’t a three-point shooter, is a vertical threat, more of a dump off guy around the rim and a guy that plays within 10 to 5 ft of the rim unlike Brook Lopez. So definitely different offensively, but not that different defensively. Capella is more athletic than Brook Lopez, but not a better rim protector in my opinion. They’re both shot blockers, but Lopez is the better rim protector, offers better helpside protection, fouls less, simply is a more disciplined defender. And then between both of them, I wouldn’t say that Capella, even though he’s more athletic, is much better in regard to perimeter defense. So between the two of them, I think I probably would pick Brook Lopez. Even though he’s not the lob threat that Capella is, probably not as good as a rebounder and definitely not to my opinion, but he does offer better offensive versatility, does offer better rim protection, and will be a better, more reliable backup big man in my opinion. Although I wouldn’t be unhappy with Clinkapella, there is the lob threat connection there that’s worked well between him and Trey Young for a number of years now and would likely work fairly well with him and Luca Donuch. So again, kind of take your pick between them, but I really do think they’re probably the most likely and realistic targets for the Lakers if they’re going to offer a center of their mid-level exception, which again is their taxpayer mid-level exception worth roughly 5.6 million next season. And for the center targets that would fall into that price range, I’d probably only put Brook Lopez, Clinkapella, or maybe a guy like Al Horford, for example. If he would leave Boston and then would look for a different team, I guess he’d fall into that price range, too. Also is an aging veteran player, roughly 39 years old, but still very productive on the court. I guess he’d be in their price range. I doubt he leaves the Celtics, and if he does, it would probably be be a retirement, not to a different team, but I guess you could mention a guy like him. However, again, I definitely would put Brook Lopez and Clint Capella as their most realistic and probably most likely veteran free agent targets on the center market. Apart from them though, got to mention a guy they have bird rights to and one of their own free agents, that being Jackson Hayes. Yes, he was underwhelming toward the end of the year, barely played during the postseason, and that’s both on him and JJ Reic. Hayes not playing well in this limited plank time but also getting limited playing time. So he didn’t have much of an opportunity to show anything on the court. So that might be a bit of indifference between them might lead to them parting ways and Hayes not coming back. But again like I said with them having his bird rights aka the ability to offer him more than the tax pyramid level. Doubt they do that but could offer him anything from that all the way down to a veteran minimum. And I’d say he’s in their top three most likely centers to bring back or simply have on their team next season between himself, Clink Capella, and Brook Lopez. Though that’s not counting the veteran minimum guys that they might look to bring in for a third or fourth center. But with that in mind here, how about the trade market? Is there likely option for them? Is there a center that they are targeting and really have been linked to fairly often? Well, in my opinion, there has been one of them. one that’s both fairly likely for them to get, one that would be attainable for them and with their current trade assets and then one most importantly that they’ve been heavily linked to that player being Nick Claxon. Yes, I’ve talked about him and I’m sure you’ve heard plenty about him throughout the past month. But at the end of the day here, he’s probably their most likely and best center option on the trade market that would actually be attainable for them. Now, I’m sure you’ve heard about names like Bam Adabio, Jannisan Dempo, maybe even a guy like Miles Turner. None of which are very likely, albeit not impossible, but not nearly as likely compared to Nick Claxton in my opinion. For one, he’s actually attainable, has been reportedly linked to the trade market, and has been kind of put on the trade block by the Brooklyn Nets. Not only that, but it wouldn’t take that much to get him. To match his salary, you could offer something like Gabe Vincent, Maxi Cleba, then a minimum contract like Shake Milton to a third team, then simply offer draft compensation, either their 2031 first one draft pick, their currently only tradable first one draft pick, maybe could get away with offering them two or three first one draft pick swaps, or then for kind of a resemblance of a draft pick, offer them Dalton Connect instead. So, between that, probably could get Nick Claxton and it would be a good fit for their team, too. Like I said, they want a lob threat to pair with Luca Donuch. And Nick Claxton definitely could be that. Is an athletic, still young, very talented big man that could be a great lob threat to pair with Luca Donuch. So check that off the list. Then defensively can both be a very good rim protector and a switchable defender. So that would be a great fit. Not only the great rim protection like Brook Lopez would offer, but then switchable defense, something that would definitely help their team out and something that could keep him on the court in the fourth quarter, too. So overall here between the fit, what it would take to get him, the fact that he’s likely on the trade block or could be attainable on the trade block, then with how he would fit the Lakers not only short-term future but long-term future as well with him being only 26 and also the same age as Luca Donuch. I think it’s very realistic and a trade they definitely will try to pursue this off season. Much more realistic compared to an all-star in my opinion. much more realistic compared to a superstar like Giannis or even a guy that we simply can’t predict like the Mark Williams trait for example. Can’t call that realistic because absolutely nobody saw coming. I’d say for their most realistic center trade target, it definitely would have to be Nick Claxton. So between Claxton for the trade target, Brook Lopez, Clink Capella, and then Jackson Hayes for free agent targets, I’d say those are their most realistic and likely centers be on their team next season that will likely make a little bit more than they bet minimum. And just to be clear here, I’m not saying these are the Lakers only center targets or only guys they can possibly get, but simply their most realistic targets. guys that would fit their price range in free agency, guys that they could bring back or simply guy they could bring back with Jackson Hayes or a guy that they have both been linked to and would fit their trade asset profile too, that being the Claxton. So again, not their only targets, but their most likely ones by far in my opinion that will likely make above a veteran minimum contract. And with that in mind here, what do you guys think? How do you feel about the most likely and getable centers for the Lakers this off season? Could it be a guy like Broo Lopez or Clink Capella? Maybe they try to bring back Jackson Hayes or maybe they try and trade for a guy like Nick Claxton. How do you feel about that? And would you call them the most likely options for the Lakers? Or who else would it be in your opinion? Let me know your thoughts in the comments down below. But I think that’ll pretty much do it for this one. And if you enjoyed the video, then I would greatly appreciate it if you dropped a like, subscribe to the channel if you have not already, and hit that notification bell to never miss out when I upload a video. But as always, thank you for watching and have a great day or night. [Music]

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