Team record ranked 8 major goals in the Lakers inside line: The two perfectly match Doncic, 5.7 million middle-class sign-up king?

On June 2, Lakers Khobi Price reported the team's main target of the team's inside signings. He listed the 8-man roster and focused on analyzing three of them, namely the Mavericks' Gafford, the Nets' Clarkston and the Hawks' Capela. Here is Price's report - the biggest demand for the Lakers this offseason is no secret: they are looking for ways to strengthen the inside lineup. General Manager Pelinka has been talking about the team’s demand for inside players for months since trading Davis to the Mavericks for Doncic, even mentioned it the day after the Lakers’ season.

"We know that one of the main goals for this offseason is to add body size advantage in the frontcourt center position," Pelinka said at the time. "It will be part of our team building plan. We know there is a lot of work to do on the roster and the roster next year will definitely be different." Pelinka also talked about the type of center they are looking for. "With the characteristics of the center, it is best to have a player with vertical threats, all-in threats, and can protect the inside on the defensive end. These are the keys. But there are also many types of centers in the league that can play an important role - such as space centers that also have the ability to protect the basket. We will also consider this type of player. I don't want to limit the specific template, but we clearly need a big man."

With Hayes, who served as the Lakers' starting center in the 2024-25 season, is about to become a full free agent, and the team does not have any centers with contracts in the 2025-26 season at the beginning of the offseason, the Lakers may need to introduce multiple inside players.

Although there are many shocking deals in NBA history (such as Doncic's joining), the Lakers are unlikely to introduce All-Star big men this offseason.

So, which players are realistic goals? Here are a few potential candidates worth paying attention to -

1. Gafford (Mavericks, trading target)

When discussing Lakers' inside goals this summer, the two most commonly mentioned names are Gafford of the Mavericks and Clarkston of the Nets.

Gafford's potential trading logic is obvious: He and Doncic have been teammates for about a year at the Mavericks, quickly establishing chemistry during the team's 2024 Finals. Last season, Gafford played 29 regular season games for the Mavericks (average 21.5 minutes per game), contributing 11.2 points (78% shooting percentage), 6.9 rebounds and 1.9 blocks; before Doncic finished his last game for the Mavericks this season, Gafford averaged 12 points (72.6% shooting percentage), 6.1 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 29 games (average 20.2 minutes per game).

The 2-08-meter-tall inside player weighing 120 kilograms is in the last year of a three-year, $40 million contract, with a salary of about $14.4 million in the 2025-26 season. Previous reports said that Gafford, 26, hoped to receive "starting center-level salary" - but he himself denied this statement. But Davis and Lefly (the latter can renew their contract next summer) are already in the Mavericks, and it is unlikely (or willing to) pay high salaries for three insiders at the same time.

Gafford's salary next season allows the Lakers to complete the transaction without sending the starter, but the question is: Will the Mavericks be willing to reach a deal with the Lakers again after the Doncic trade sparks controversy? In addition, if the Lakers get Goverd through a trade, they need to ensure that he is willing to stay in the team after the 2025-26 season.

2. Clarkston (Nets, Trading Target)

Clarkston can be said to be the best center that the Lakers can introduce in the offseason.

As a full-time starter in the past three seasons, he averaged 11.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 2 blocks per game.

This 2-11-meter-tall player and weighs 98 kilograms is one of the best basket protectors in the league. He can not only switch to the outside, but also end the expert and excellent screener at the basket. He is perfectly adapted to the Lakers' system and is expected to become a good partner for Doncic.

26-year-old Clarkston's salary in 2025-26 will be $25.4 million (based on his four-year, $97 million decreasing contract this year), which means that the Lakers will need to give players with higher salaries in the trade than the Goverd trade. However, the structure of the decreasing contract has reduced the salary space he will occupy in the future year by year.

3. Capela (full free agent)

31-year-old Capela's performance has declined in the past two seasons. He averaged 8.9 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1 block in the 2024-25 season, and averaged 21.4 minutes per game, all of which were the lowest since the early stages of his career. In late January, Okonggu took over the Hawks starting center position from Capela, and Capela missed the last month of the season with a left-hand ligament injury.

But Capela is still a reliable defender (especially at the basket) and may be a low-time starter or a high-time backup. He is not the ideal answer for a long-term starter, but it may be a suitable goal for the $5.7 million "mini middle class" in the hands of the Lakers.

The other five potential candidates -

Bitazze (Magic)

25 years old, 2 meters tall, 113 kilograms, and the contract has two years left. It is US$8.33 million in the 2025-26 season and US$7.6 million in the 2026-27 season. This season averages 7.2 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2 assists per game in the regular season.

Dellon Sharp (Nets)

23 years old, 2.11 meters tall, 120 kg, potentially restricted free agent. This season's regular season averaged 7.9 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.

Knette (Celtics)

29 years old, 2.18 meters tall, weighing 113 kg, full free agent. This season's regular season averaged 6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game.

Lari Nance Jr. (Haats)

32 years old, 2.03 meters tall, weighing 111 kg, and is completely free agent. This season's regular season averaged 8.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game.

Achuva (Knicks)

25 years old, 2.03 meters tall, weighing 102 kg, completely free agent. This season's regular season averaged 6.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game.