To grant Luka Dončić‘s wish to play with a lob threat and fix the Los Angeles Lakers‘ biggest issue might lead them back to the Dallas Mavericks.
ESPN’s Tim MacMahon floated Mavericks center Daniel Gafford as a potential trade target for the Lakers, who are desperately looking for a starting-caliber center.
“Let me throw one at you. This is pure hypothetical, me trying to be GM, figure out things that might make sense,” MacMahon said on the “Hoop Collective” podcast last week. “The Mavericks quietly sniffed around the value of Daniel Gafford before this deadline. It certainly would make sense for them to do that this summer.”
The Mavericks will be in a tough spot financially to be able to keep all their centers (Anthony Davis, Gafford and Dereck Lively II), according to MacMahon.
“Dereck Lively is a year away from getting an extension, Daniel Gafford is entering the final year of his contract, Gafford reasonably and rightly wants to get starting center money,” MacMahon said. “You can’t have AD (Anthony Davis) on a max, Lively on a big contract and pay Gafford starting center money.”
Gafford is due for $14.3 million next season, the final year of his three-year, $40 million contract.
Rui Hachimura-Daniel Gafford Swap?
The Lakers, who have surplus of wings and the Mavericks, who have surplus of centers, make perfect sense as trade partners anew.
The Lakers still have the 2031 first-round pick, which the Mavericks left on the table in the Dončić deal and they offered in the rescinded Mark Williams trade, and five picks swaps to offer the Mavericks.
“I could at least put something together that would at least be intriguing for the Mavericks,” MacMahon continued. “Rui [Hachimura], all those picks that they’ve got to give up, a swap or two, I can put something together to make sense to both sides.”
But after the backlash Mavericks general Nico Harrison received following the Dončić trade, helping the Lakers again would fan the outrage of the still hurting Mavericks fan base.
Salary Cap Expert Pushes Lakers to Trade for Daniel Gafford
Getty Pundits are pushing foir the Los Angeles Lakers to reunite former Dallas Mavericks teammates Luka Dončić and Daniel Gafford.
MacMahon isn’t alone in his thoughts of Gafford should be on top the Lakers’ trade target list. Bleacher Report’s salary cap expert Eric Pincus also suggested the same idea in April.
“The Mavericks have significant size with Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively II, Dwight Powell, P.J. Washington and Gafford,” Pincus wrote. “They need help at guard since Kyrie Irving is out with a knee injury until at least December or January (optimistically). While the Lakers may not be able to deliver that directly to Dallas, a multi-team deal could be the answer.
“Gafford is in the last year of his contract and is expected to look elsewhere in free agency given the glut of bigs ahead of him in the Mavericks’ rotation. His relationship with Dončić is strong, and the Lakers would probably insert Gafford into their starting lineup next season if given the chance.”
Gafford averaged 11.8 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 48 games with Dončić.
Lakers, Mavericks ‘Line Up’ Preseason Game in Las Vegas
NBA insider Marc Stein reported earlier this week that the Lakers and the Mavericks are “lining up” to play a preseason game in Las Vegas in October.
It will be just the second meeting between Dončić and Davis, but the third time the two teams are facing off since the most stunning NBA trade in recent memory. It also shows how strong the relationship is between the two franchises.
It’s not far-fetched to think that the Lakers and the Mavericks go back in the negotiation table as both teams’ top decision-makers have a strong relationship.
Lakers president Rob Pelinka and Harrison forged their strong bond when the former was the agent of the late Kobe Bryant and the latter served as top executive of sneaker giant Nike.
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