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Lakers-Mavericks trade pitch sends Dalton Knecht to Dallas for $54 million fan-favorite center originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Could the Los Angeles Lakers complete another headline-worthy trade with the Dallas Mavericks this offseason?
Perhaps, but given the fact that Los Angeles fleeced Dallas the first time (trading Anthony Davis, who’s no longer with Dallas, to the Mavericks for Luka Doncic, who was an MVP candidate this season), it's unlikely. ESPN’s Zach Kram isn’t giving up on the idea, though, citing that swapping Dalton Knecht for a fan-favorite center makes sense for Los Angeles.
“After the Mavericks overhauled their front office and parted ways with coach Jason Kidd, it seems that the franchise is ready to fully move on from its previous era into one revolving around Cooper Flagg,” Kram wrote Monday.
“So, I have two deals in mind that would trade a pair of veterans who contributed to Dallas' 2024 NBA Finals team, in exchange for more youth and draft picks. The first (Jarred Vanderbilt, Dalton Knecht, and the No. 25 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft to the Mavericks for Daniel Gafford) sends Gafford to L.A., where he can rejoin Luka Doncic and thrive once more as a pick-and-roll partner and rim-running threat.”
“This deal should be a no-brainer for the Lakers, as they'd address their glaring hole at the center position -- which would still exist even if Deandre Ayton exercised his option for next season -- with a player who's a proven fit next to Doncic. Gafford would certainly help the Lakers more next season than any rookie they could draft with the No. 25 pick.”
Doncic doesn’t deserve to play alongside a center who only plays up to his potential on certain occasions (Ayton), making it important for the Lakers to continue searching for the perfect lob threat for their franchise point guard.
Gafford is as close as it gets to meeting that requirement, as he’s a 70.2% career field goal shooter, has been a quietly effective rim protector since entering the league in 2019, and isn’t a stranger to throwing down thunderous lobs assisted by Doncic.
In Gafford’s first full season in Dallas without Doncic as his teammate (this year), the Arkansas product averaged 9.5 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game, shooting 65.5% from the field in 55 contests.
Considering that Gafford was at the top of his game offensively when Doncic was his pick-and-roll partner (he averaged 11.2 points on 78.0% field goal shooting on the 2023-24 Mavericks squad that reached the NBA finals), bringing him to Los Angeles should be a priority for the franchise this summer.
More NBA news:
Lakers named best fit for record-setting $53.8 million star
Jazz, Hawks, Bulls, Nets named top landing spots for $53 million Lakers superstar
Lakers predicted to cut ties with Dalton Knecht, acquire $175 million two-time MVP
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