The team lists the Lakers' 8 major goals inside: the two are perfectly suited to Doncic's 5.7 million mid-range signing pie king?

On June 2, Beijing time, Lakers reporter Khobi Price reported the main goal of the team's internal recruitment, he listed a list of 8 people, and focused on analyzing 3 of them, namely Gafford of the Mavericks, Claxton of the Nets and Capela of the Hawks. Here's what Price reported –

It's no secret that the Lakers' biggest need this offseason is that they're looking for ways to bolster their interior roster. Since trading Davis to the Mavericks in exchange for Doncic, general manager Pelinka has been talking about the team's need for interior players for months, even the day after the Lakers season ended.

"We knew that one of the main goals of this offseason was to add size to the center position up front," Pelinka said at the time, "and it would be part of our team building plan. We know there's a lot of work to be done in the squad and next year's squad will definitely be different. ”

Pelinka also talked about the type of center forward they are looking for. "In terms of the qualities of a center, it's best to have a player who is a vertical threat, an open threat, and can protect the interior on the defensive end. These are the key. But there are also many types of centers in the league that can play an important role — such as space centers who can also protect the basket. We'll consider that type of player as well. I don't want to limit specific templates, but we do need a big man. ”

With Hayes, who served as the Lakers' starting center for the 2024-25 season, on the verge of becoming a full free agent, and the team doesn't have any centers under contract for the 2025-26 season at the start of the offseason, the Lakers may need to bring in multiple interior players.

While there's no shortage of shocking deals in NBA history (like Doncic's arrival), it's unlikely that the Lakers will bring in an All-Star-caliber big man this offseason.

So, which players are realistic targets? Here are a few potential candidates to keep an eye on –

1. Gafford (Maverick, trade target)

Two of the most frequently mentioned names when discussing Lakers' interior goals this summer are Gafford for the Mavericks and Claxton for the Nets.

The logic behind Gafford's potential trade is obvious: He and Doncic, who were teammates with the Mavericks for about a year, quickly built chemistry during the team's 2024 Finals run. Last season, Gafford played in 29 regular-season games (averaging 21.5 minutes per game), contributing 11.2 points (78 percent shooting), 6.9 rebounds and 1.9 blocks for the Mavericks, and averaged 12 points (72.6 percent shooting), 6.1 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 29 games (20.2 minutes per game) before Doncic played his final game for the Mavericks this season.

The 2.08m, 120-kilogram interior player is in the final year of his three-year, $40 million contract and will be paid around $14.4 million for the 2025-26 season. It was previously reported that the 26-year-old would like to receive a "starting centre-forward salary" – although he has denied this claim himself. But the Mavericks already have Davis and Lively (the latter of whom has a contract extension next summer) and are unlikely (or willing) to pay three interior players at the same time.

Gafford next season's salary allows the Lakers to complete the deal without having to send a starter, but the question is: Are the Mavericks willing to make another deal with the Lakers after the Doncic trade sparked controversy? In addition, if the Lakers acquire Gafford through a trade, they will need to make sure he is willing to stay after the 2025-26 season.

2. Claxton (Nets, trade target)

Claxton is arguably the best center the Lakers can bring in in this offseason.

As a full-time starter for the Nets over the past three seasons, he averaged 11.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists and two blocks per game.

The 2.11-meter-tall player who weighs 98 kilograms is one of the best basket protectors in the league, who can switch to the perimeter and is also a master finisher under the basket and an excellent screener, a perfect fit for the Lakers' system, and is expected to be a good partner for Doncic.

Claxton, 26, has a salary of $25.4 million for the 2025-26 season (based on a four-year, $97 million decreasing contract based on his starting salary this year), which means the Lakers will need to send a player with a higher salary than the Gafford trade in the trade. However, the structure of the regressive contract has reduced the salary space he occupies in the future year by year.

3. Capela (full free agent)

The 31-year-old Capela's performance has declined in the last two seasons. He averaged 8.9 points, 8.5 rebounds, one block per game and 21.4 minutes per game in 2024-25, the lowest since the early days of his career. Okongu took over the Hawks' starting center position from Capela in late January, after which Capela missed the final month of the season with a ligament injury in his left hand.

But Capela remains a reliable defender (especially under the basket) and could be a low-playing starter or a high-playing substitute. He's not the ideal answer for a long-term starter, but he could be a suitable target for the $5.7 million "mini-midrange" in the Lakers' hands.

The other 5 potential candidates –

Bitadze (Magic)

The 25-year-old, 2.11 meters tall, weighs 113 kilograms, has two years left on his contract, $8.33 million in 2025-26 and $7.6 million in 2026-27, and averages 7.2 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2 assists per game in the regular season this season.

Deroen Sharpe (Nets)

23 years old, 2.11m tall, 120kg in weight, potential restricted free agent. He averaged 7.9 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game in the regular season this season.

Knight (Celtic)

29 years old, 2.18 meters tall, 113 kilograms, completely free agent. He averaged 6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game in the regular season this season.

Larry Nance Jr. (Eagles)

32 years old, 2.03 meters tall, 111 kg in weight, completely free agent. He averaged 8.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game in the regular season this season.

Achiuwa (Knicks)

25 years old, 2.03 meters tall, 102 kilograms, completely free agent. He averaged 6.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game in the regular season this season.