The Los Angeles Lakers are 15-4, second in the Western Conference, and are playing at a near-peak level with the LeBron James, Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, and company roster JJ Redick has to work with.
Additionally, Deandre Ayton, the Lakers’ biggest acquisition of the offseason, has fallen into his role well as the team’s starting center. Yet still, rumors remain consistent that Los Angeles is still targeting another big man to add to the roster.
Most recently, Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints reported the Lakers still have interest in Daniel Gafford of the Dallas Mavericks. The former Doncic teammate has been a long-term target for Los Angeles, but he could now be even closer to getting moved with the Mavs now on the verge of collapse.
“Coincidentally enough, one of the teams with strong interest in Gafford dating back to last season is the Los Angeles Lakers, sources said,” Siegel wrote. “Could we see a reunion between Luka Doncic and Gafford in Los Angeles in February?”
After bouncing around the league, Gafford has his best years playing with Doncic in Dallas. This season, his averages of 9.4 points and 6.5 rebounds on 61.7% shooting in 23.5 minutes per game are a slight drop from years past, but he remains an athletic big man and lob threat that could be coveted by teams around the league.
Lakers Still Interested In Gafford
Before the Ayton signing this summer, the frontcourt was by far the biggest issue for the Lakers last season. But now with the former number one overall pick, those concerns have quieted a bit. Ayton is by no means a top-tier big man, but he’s been solid in the two-man game and as a lob threat for James, Doncic, and Reaves.
Yet still, Siegel’s recent reporting shows Los Angeles isn’t fully committed to a long-term future with Ayton. With Gafford potentially on the market, it could give the Lakers the chance to add a player proven to play well with their new franchise star in Doncic, and someone who brings a bit more than Ayton on the defensive end of the floor.
“Gafford is an excellent shooter from the field, with a career average of 70.1. His 9.4 points, 6.5 assists, and 1.4 assists will not blow anyone away but the current Maverick is a former teammate of Luka Dončić, so he knows how to play with the superstar and face of the Lakers’ future,” Erik Beaston wrote for Bleacher Report.
The biggest knock on Gafford would be his health. He’s only played in at least 70 regular-season games three times in his career, and has dealt with numerous lower body injuries over the past few seasons.
However, Ayton is currently nursing a knee injury of his own and has missed a ton of time in his career as well, playing in less than 70% of regular-season games in the first seven years of his career.
There is a potential for the Lakers to have both on the roster, though adding Gafford’s $18+ million contract wouldn’t be the easiest task.
Luka Doncic And Austin Reaves Continue To Carry LA
James’ previously impending return to the court for the Lakers was the biggest storyline surrounding the team through the first month of the season. There were questions as to how well he’d fit with Doncic and Reaves, but now, those concerns have dropped, as Los Angeles has won their last seven games.
The supporting cast of Rui Hachimura, Jake LaRavia, Marcus Smart, and Jaxson Hayes have been solid, but it’s mostly been LA’s new big three leading the way for their recent win streak. Though James sat in their latest game against the New Orleans Pelicans, Doncic and Reaves picked up the slack, as they have for most of the year.
“Dončić scored 34, and Reaves had 33, the two becoming just the fourth set of teammates to score 30-plus in three-straight games,” Dan Woike wrote for The Athletic.
The stats for both paint an even clearer picture as to how impactful they’ve been so far this season. Doncic is averaging a league-high 35.1 points per game along with 8.7 rebounds, 9.2 assists, and 1.7 steals. It was hard to see his offensive game taking another leap after his time in Dallas, but the Slovenian is now making the best case of his career for the MVP award.
Similarly, Reaves is putting up career-highs across the board, with 28.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 6.8 assists per game on 52% shooting. His rise has been a bit more gradual, but the 27-year-old’s performances this season have put him in line for a max contract next summer.
James has only played four games so far and sat out most recently against the Pelicans. His scoring has dropped significantly (16.5 ppg), but in the games he’s played, he remains the key cog for the Lakers’ offense.
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