Lakers Trade Rumors: Trae Young’s former teammate a “stopgap” free agent center option

The LA Lakers lost their first-round series to the Minnesota Timberwolves largely due to two factors. Their starters logged heavy minutes and were exhausted at the end of games and Los Angeles lacked the size necessary to deal with players like Rudy Gobert and Julius Randle down low. As they prepare for the offseason to begin, one Lakers reporter brought up a name to watch for: Clint Capela.

Capela is a 30-year-old center who has spent the last five years of his career alongside Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks. Earlier in his career, he was one of the best lob threats in the game, building chemistry with both young and former MVP James Harden. The 6-foot-10 center is a good rebounder and a player who excels in his role, albeit not as well as he used to.

The Lakers are keeping their options open when it comes to free agency, but bringing in a center is their top priority. They traded for Mark Williams from the Charlotte Hornets, but rescinded the deal after the former Duke center failed his physical. In order to bring in the best possible option, Los Angeles' general manager Rob Pelinka will wait until after the draft to make a move.

Los Angeles has their eyes on plenty of players, according to LA Times reporter Dan Woike. Daniel Gafford and Nic Claxton are their preferred targets now that they know the Utah Jazz won't part with Walker Kessler. They will see which teams take centers in the draft and talk to them about moving on from their veteran big men.

Capela is a last resort option Pelinka can fall back on and will serve as a "stopgap" center for the Lakers in the short term. At this point in the offseason, eliminated teams know what they want to accomplish and are building plans to get it done. However, they want to give themselves as many options as possible, just in case.

What kind of contract would the LA Lakers give Clint Capela?

Capela is in the later part of his prime and is still nursing an injury to his left hand that kept him out of the last month of the regular season. He is coming off a two-year, $45,881,280 contract that he signed in 2023. The Lakers are close to the first and second aprons and are expected to avoid it if they don't get their first or second option when it comes to centers.

If they do end up signing Capela, it will likely be a shorter deal in order to give the team flexibility moving forward. He was underwhelming alongside Young in Atlanta last season and got replaced by Onyeka Okongwu later in the year, and the Lakers could offer him a chance to bet on himself and earn a bigger deal.

Los Angeles desperately needs help down low. They won't be able to get a serviceable center in this year's draft without trading for a first round pick, leaving free agency and trade as their only options. Pelinka has proved that he's willing to make big moves to help his team contend. He's got his work cut out for him as he looks for the perfect center to pair with Luka Doncic.