As Anthony Davis publicly expressed his desire to play alongside a true center, the Los Angeles Lakers are actively exploring trade options ahead of the February 6 deadline.
Bleacher Report’s salary cap expert, Eric Pincus, has proposed a complex four-team trade involving 15 players, which could help the Lakers acquire their desired center.
Trade Breakdown:
Lakers Receive: Clint Capela (Hawks), Vit Krejčí (Hawks), Mouhamed Gueye (Hawks)
Hawks Receive: Jusuf Nurkić (Suns), Rui Hachimura (Lakers), Christian Wood (Lakers), Johnny Davis (Wizards), Patrick Baldwin Jr. (Wizards), Bol Bol (Suns), 2025 second-round pick (Lakers), $22.3M trade exception (Clint Capela), $17.3M trade exception (Bogdan Bogdanović)
Suns Receive: Bogdan Bogdanović (Hawks), Anthony Gill (Wizards), Shake Milton (Lakers), $2.1M trade exception (Bol Bol), $865K trade exception (Jusuf Nurkić)
Wizards Receive: Kobe Bufkin (Hawks), David Roddy (Hawks), Jalen Hood-Schifino (Lakers), $5.3M trade exception (Johnny Davis), $2.4M trade exception (Patrick Baldwin Jr.), $2.2M trade exception (Anthony Gill), 2025 second-rounder (via Suns), $2.5M from Lakers
Capela’s Fit with the Lakers
Capela, currently averaging 9.4 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks in 22.4 minutes per game, would address the Lakers’ need for a traditional center.
“Capela fits the positional need (costing a low second instead of a first), and the Lakers get a replacement wing in Krejčí, who has a friendly contract and could earn productive rotation minutes off the bench,” Pincus wrote on February 1.
With Capela on an expiring $22.3M deal, the Lakers could explore re-signing him on a team-friendly contract using their $5.7M projected taxpayer mid-level exception.
Lakers in Talks for Bogdan Bogdanović
The Lakers are also in discussions with the Hawks about acquiring Bogdan Bogdanović, per ClutchPoints’ Anthony Irwin.
“Since trading D’Angelo Russell to the Brooklyn Nets for Dorian Finney-Smith, the Lakers have struggled to score at the same rate. With the trade deadline looming, sources say the Lakers and Hawks are discussing a deal that would send Bogdanović to Los Angeles,” Irwin reported on January 31.
Potential trade pieces include Gabe Vincent, Jalen Hood-Schifino, and another salary filler, with the possibility of a larger deal unfolding.
JJ Redick Backs Capela as the Right Fit
Lakers head coach JJ Redick has also voiced his desire for a physical, defensive-minded center to complement Davis.
“You certainly have to look at what I think is actually a very good, balanced roster. We’d love to, at some point, get another five-man, a big bruising five-man,” Redick told SiriusXM NBA Radio during Summer League.
Capela, a 6-foot-10, 256-pound center, has been among the NBA’s best offensive rebounders over the past three seasons, making him an ideal fit for the Lakers’ playoff aspirations.
