A new Los Angeles Lakers trade idea swaps three players for Chicago Bulls center Nic Claxton, giving JJ Redick an athletic big man to pair with Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and the rest of his guard-heavy rotation.
The hypothetical Lakers trade idea would see the Milwaukee Bucks step in as a third team, with veteran big man Myles Turner landing in Chicago as its new starting center.
Lakers Trade Idea Lands Nic Claxton
Lakers would receive: Nicolas Claxton
Bulls would receive: Myles Turner, Jericho Sims, Jaden Hardy
Bucks would receive: Isaac Okoro, Jarred Vanderbilt, Dalton Knecht
This trade would reduce the Lakers’ roster from 16 to a manageable 14 players, giving them the flexibility to keep an empty roster and possibly add a veteran via buyout.
Why the Lakers Do It
For the simple fact that Walker Kessler and Kevon Looney can’t be relied upon to stay healthy. Last season, they combined to play just 26 games due to injuries. Beyond those two bigs, the Lakers don’t have any other real big bodies to throw against Nikola Jokic, Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren, creating a dicey situation to say the least.
Claxton, a prototypical rim-running big, should thrive in pick-and-roll situations with Doncic and Reaves, and also do a good job protecting the rim as Kessler’s back up. With Kessler’s improving three-point range, Redick could experiment with two-big lineups especially while going up against certain matchups in the West.
The best part is that Claxton’s contract will not hurt the Lakers’ long-term flexibility. The 27-year-old will be on an expiring $21M salary next season, making him relatively easy to move if the Lakers choose to do so.
Why the Bulls Do It
Claxton, who landed in the Windy City as part of the Julius Randle deal, may not be a long-term fit on a Bulls team boasting a young center rotation of Jalen Smith, Australian prospect Lachlan Olbrich and Tobe Awaka. With Chicago expected to undergo a rebuild under Tiago Splitter, Claxton may be better off catching lobs from Doncic and Reaves rather than trying to fix next to new franchise star Caleb Wilson.
Myles Turner’s ability to stretch the floor — averaging 2.1 made threes on 38% shooting last season — projects as a better fit next to Wilson, Matas Buzelis, and Josh Giddey. Meanwhile, Jericho Sims could be a nice backup to join Smith, Olbrich and Awaka.
Why the Bucks Do It
By moving Myles Turner, the Bucks can shed his massive four-year, $109M contract before it becomes an albatross paying him $29M at age 34.
Taking back Jarred Vanderbilt, Dalton Knecht and Isaac Okoro cleans up Milwaukee’s long-term cap sheet; Okoro and Knecht are on expiring deals, while Vanderbilt’s contract ends with a 2027-28 player option. On the court, Turner is the odd man out in Taylor Jenkins’ youth movement. With Kel’el Ware taking over as the starting center — backed by developmental projects like John Butler Jr. and versatile 6-foot-10 big Nate Arment — Turner simply doesn’t fit the Bucks’ new rotation or timeline.
Lakers Trade for Athletic Big Nic Claxton in Mega 3-Team Proposal