The Dallas Mavericks have a long road ahead of them.
It’s going to take some time to dig their way out of the hole that former general manager Nico Harrison dug for them, but the pathway ahead is fairly clear.
It’s time to cut ties with a majority of the veterans on the roster and start building around No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg.
Harrison tried a two-timeline approach, supplementing his veteran-heavy roster with youngsters, but it has not worked.
The Mavericks have gotten off to a poor start to the 2025-26 season; they’re 3-9 and are on a two-game losing streak as of Thursday.
They should look to salvage what value they can and prepare for their future, which is the development of Flagg.
Mavericks Trade Proposal Ships Daniel Gafford to the Lakers
In a trade idea first proposed by Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley, the Dallas Mavericks would send center Daniel Gafford to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Fadeaway World’s Siddhant Gupta laid out the trade as follows:
Los Angeles Lakers receive: Daniel Gafford
Dallas Mavericks receive: Gabe Vincent, Dalton Knecht, 2032 second-round pick
The trade supplies the Lakers with a better fit at center than Deandre Ayton for Luka Doncic, and gives the Mavericks some better pieces to surround Flagg.
Dallas currently lacks a true pass-first point guard. D’Angelo Russell has done his best to fill in for the injured Kyrie Irving with mixed results.
Gabe Vincent isn’t a perfect solution, but it’s better than what they have right now.
Dalton Knecht isn’t a bad player to take a flier on, either; his outside shooting ability is a fit on just about every team.
The trade also allows the Mavericks to focus on giving Dereck Lively II more time at the center position.
Anthony Davis, who is still a good player, is likely another veteran Dallas looks to trade as the season progresses, thanks to his ties to Harrison and the Doncic trade.
The 2032 second-round pick can also be used as a trade asset, or possibly even a pick the Mavericks covet from a possibly Doncic-less Lakers squad seven years from now.
Do the Lakers Make the Deal?
While the Dallas Mavericks certainly like the trade outcome for them, it’s equally as lucrative for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Gafford has proven to be a perfect pairing with Doncic, evident by their 2024 Finals run.
Ayton has played well in his short Lakers tenure, but it’s not likely he’s a long-term solution in Los Angeles.
“Ayton’s play has been up-and-down, and he isn’t the kind of spring-loaded rim-runner who would work best with Dončić and other downhill playmakers like James and Austin Reaves,” wrote Buckley.
“Gafford clearly is that kind of player, though. And the Lakers already know he can thrive with Dončić, as the two started alongside one another on the Dallas Mavericks’ 2023-24 Finals team.”
Vincent hasn’t been a major contributor to the Lakers since signing as a free agent in 2023, and is often injured.
The Lakers have enough backcourt depth as it is.
As for Knecht, he was supposed to be shipped out of Los Angeles last season when the Lakers and Charlotte Hornets agreed on the Mark Williams trade, but now he gets a real opportunity to shine elsewhere alongside the rookie phenom Flagg.
For both teams, this trade helps push them in the direction they each want to go, and should seriously be considered if there’s no remaining bad blood from the Doncic trade.
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