The Los Angeles Lakers’ recent attempt to acquire Luka Doncic an elite lob threat and rim runner fell through, but the team remains determined to prioritize that move in the summer of 2025.
On February 8, 2025, the Lakers canceled their trade with the Charlotte Hornets for center Mark Williams after he failed a physical.
“Teams do not like to cancel trades, especially those as significant as the Lakers-Charlotte trade for Mark Williams-Dalton Knecht,” reported Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. “But L.A. gave up a lot to get Williams, they needed to feel confident he’d be healthy enough to be their starting center for the next 5-10 years. After a ‘thorough’ evaluation of his health, they were not.”
On Sunday, Evan Sidery of Forbes linked the Lakers to two big men they could pursue beginning June 30, when the NBA’s free agency period reopens and teams can conduct trades.
“Two names continue to be mentioned in league circles as potential Lakers center trade targets this summer: Myles Turner and Nic Claxton,” Sidery wrote. “Turner can be acquired via sign-and-trade if they overwhelm the [Indiana] Pacers with an offer. The [Brooklyn] Nets have been open to moving Claxton for months.”
Myles Turner, who has been in trade talks for several years, including when he played alongside Domantas Sabonis, is entering the final season of his two-year contract worth $40.9 million. He will become an unrestricted free agent this summer, and the Pacers may look to execute a sign-and-trade to get something in return rather than lose him for nothing.
Turner, who is about to turn 29, could complement Luka Doncic’s game as both a lob threat and a rim protector. “He would not only be a viable lob threat for Doncic, which he always wanted with the Dallas Mavericks and which he mentioned to the Lakers as important upon arriving in L.A.,” Sidery continued, noting that “Doncic will be a free agent in a year and a half, and Los Angeles must concern itself with building a team around him that will entice the five-time First-Team All-NBA player to remain with the franchise long-term.”
In addition to his offensive abilities, Turner has been one of the best defensive rim protectors in the league, leading the NBA in blocks twice (2018-19 and 2020-21) and averaging 2.2 blocks per game throughout his decade-long career.
