RealGM

Kleber/Vincent/Knecht

for

Claxton

Nets continue their march towards 26 cap space while picking up an offensive prospect and not hurting the tank.

Lakers get a defensive center who can be a rim runner for Luka without losing a significant rotation piece or touching future picks.

I am not too high on Claxton.

I think LA would be better off targeting Myles Turner, Clint Capela, or Brook Lopez. Robert Williams and Mitchell Robinson would be avail via trade, but Williams is unreliable and Robinson is limited. Not sure either is any worse of an option than Claxton

SA37 wrote:I am not too high on Claxton.

I think LA would be better off targeting Myles Turner, Clint Capela, or Brook Lopez. Robert Williams and Mitchell Robinson would be avail via trade, but Williams is unreliable and Robinson is limited. Not sure either is any worse of an option than Claxton

I wouldn't risk Robinson/Williams based on their health and Lebron's age. Turner would be great, though not the ideal big for a Luka team. BroLo might come for just the exception and still a very good player, but again not Luka friendly. Capela is a good fit and likely comes for the exception as well. But one could add BroLo or Capela and still make a deal for Claxton--they aren't giving up anything important from the rotation in the trade.

Was trying to get a player who does the things they need at a cheap cost. And with the salaries of Kleber/Vincent available and expiring...

I like this as a draft night deal where Brooklyn kicks in one of their 1sts for the 2031 LAL 1st

ReggiesKnicks wrote:I like this as a draft night deal where Brooklyn kicks in one of their 1sts for the 2031 LAL 1st

How would you protect that pick to make it enticing to Brooklyn to wait 6 years while protecting the Lakers enough? And who do the Lakers have fall into the 20's that they covet enough to lose the ability to trade a future pick?

ReggiesKnicks wrote:I like this as a draft night deal where Brooklyn kicks in one of their 1sts for the 2031 LAL 1st

Not sure the Lakers are giving enough for Claxton as it is.

Not sure why the Nets give up a pick now to wait six years unless they are getting something for it.

drchaos wrote:

ReggiesKnicks wrote:I like this as a draft night deal where Brooklyn kicks in one of their 1sts for the 2031 LAL 1st

Not sure the Lakers are giving enough for Claxton as it is.

Not sure why the Nets give up a pick now to wait six years unless they are getting something for it.

Presumably the Nets would be giving up a late 1st for a future 1st that at least might be higher - that would be the additional incentive (I agree that the initial offer is a bit light for Claxton).

Texas Chuck wrote:

SA37 wrote:I am not too high on Claxton.

I think LA would be better off targeting Myles Turner, Clint Capela, or Brook Lopez. Robert Williams and Mitchell Robinson would be avail via trade, but Williams is unreliable and Robinson is limited. Not sure either is any worse of an option than Claxton

I wouldn't risk Robinson/Williams based on their health and Lebron's age. Turner would be great, though not the ideal big for a Luka team. BroLo might come for just the exception and still a very good player, but again not Luka friendly. Capela is a good fit and likely comes for the exception as well. But one could add BroLo or Capela and still make a deal for Claxton--they aren't giving up anything important from the rotation in the trade.

Was trying to get a player who does the things they need at a cheap cost. And with the salaries of Kleber/Vincent available and expiring...

Yeah, if the idea is to pair Doncic with an athletic big, then yeah most of the guys I mentioned don't fit that. Perhaps your idea to add both Claxton and a C with a slightly different skill set with exception money is the way to go.

I guess I am just not sold on the idea of C who can't step out and hit the 3.

Same. Claxton is definitely better than Jaxson Hayes but stylistically they are the same kind of player and with Luka, all either has to do on offense is finish. Claxton isn't a strong rebounder or offers enough on offense skillwise to trade a future pick for him. LA just seems like they are better off doing something else altogether.

SA37 wrote:I am not too high on Claxton.

I think LA would be better off targeting Myles Turner, Clint Capela, or Brook Lopez. Robert Williams and Mitchell Robinson would be avail via trade, but Williams is unreliable and Robinson is limited. Not sure either is any worse of an option than Claxton

Texas Chuck wrote:

ReggiesKnicks wrote:I like this as a draft night deal where Brooklyn kicks in one of their 1sts for the 2031 LAL 1st

How would you protect that pick to make it enticing to Brooklyn to wait 6 years while protecting the Lakers enough? And who do the Lakers have fall into the 20's that they covet enough to lose the ability to trade a future pick?

Here is my thoughts process.

-Claxton as a Luka compliment is immensely valuable (as you know) but I don't think Claxton is a sought after center in the NBA (I think you agree here with offering the deal you did)
-Brooklyn isn't going to give away Claxton for free.

-Denver (circa 2023), traded a a 2029 1st (6 years out) for a 2024 1st.

-The offer would be #26 added for Brooklyn and Los Angeles trades a 2031 1st Top Top 6 protected, expiring for 2 2nds immediately ( considering Brooklyn is already picking at #6 and #20).

Think Brooklyn asks for more, but what that more is, Lakers should balk at.

I cannot see BK making this trade. It does not help them in anyway. They lose on talent, the best player in the trade, and the Lakers pick assets are currently worth one of the worst in the league now that Luka was gifted to them without losing much talent.

Claxton is worth more to the Nets than most other organizations as well because the Nets are going big game hunting within 2 years so they need the great contract talented players to be a part of the deals which are much more restrictive within the new CBA parameters.

Brooklyn would have to be really high on Knecht and I'm not sure why they would be.

jbk1234 wrote:Brooklyn would have to be really high on Knecht and I'm not sure why they would be.

Just to be clear, I have Claxton as probably not quite worth his contract. Knecht is just a little sweetener, but the main idea here is just to clear off some salary for a team that wants to lure stars in 26. Plus Kleber/Vincent aren't worth their salary for a year, not that Brooklyn should care much.

Not sure why anyone thinks Claxton is valuable at this point. Sure before he got this contract, he was an affordable rim runner who was mobile enough defensively. But at this price point? There isn't excess value.

This deal works because the Lakers have enough dead money of their own to get a guy much better than their current option and doesn't cost them draft capital.

Agreed, Claxton isnt really worth his contract. I like this deal for BRK. Get off Claxton, get a meh rookie scale guy who performed decently, get another tank season and come to 2026 FA with full cap space and b2b top 5ish picks

I could see the Lakers doing it if nothing better comes along, but I think they can do better by throwing draft equity in. Given their win now timeline, they should do that.

I don't know that the Nets would be too interested anyhow.

Claxton is the worst target for the Lakers in my opinion. He would get bullied by the strong centers in the west(Jokic, Zubac, Hartenstein,...).
Also he doesn't really seem like that good of a lob thread.

Claxton seems like a really good target for the LAKERS' defensive switching system. He's probably the most defensively mobile center along with Adebayo who can switch on defense. I'd send Vandervilt instead of Vincent and add a FRP swap in 2030.

With NBA revenues and contracts going up over the next couple years that Claxton contract will only look better.

He is at least fairly priced for a player his age that can contribute what he does already with the upside he has going forward.

With the NBA minimum salary requirement that the Nets will be stretching to meet next year they really have little incentive to get off his contract.

I can see why the Lakers would want him but they will not get him for free.

Claxton is similar to Jaxson Hayes, except he's better at everything...
I think Lakers owe value, but not a 1st, problem is they are short on 2nds...