After the firing of Dallas Mavericks GM Nico Harrison, teams are likely licking their chops at potential trades to take advantage of the chaos surrounding the franchise. One team that definitely should is the Los Angeles Lakers.
That would be ironic considering that their February acquisition of superstar Luka Doncic from the Mavericks threw Dallas into chaos. It also led to Harrison’s eventual ouster.
Now, the Lakers could return to the scene of the crime by trying to get one of the Mavericks’ many potentially available assets. Obviously the two most appealing options would be Kyrie Irving or former Laker Anthony Davis.
However, they may not have enough access to trade for either. Then again, with injury and age concerns, both of their trade values might be depressed.
That could help the Lakers potentially put together a relatively competitive offer. More likely, however, they could target center Daniel Gafford.
The Lakers must trade with the Mavericks again
He might not be the flashiest piece the Mavericks could trade, but he could be a solid buy-low option for the Lakers looking to solidify the center position. Currently they have Deandre Ayton and Jaxson Hayes, both of whom have done a solid job of turning a major negative into a minor positive for Los Angeles.
Better still, the Lakers could potentially pry Gafford from Dallas using one of their many expiring contracts. Maxi Kleber and Dalton Knecht, plus a 2032 second-round pick, could potentially be a viable trade package.
Adding him would ensure that the Lakers have a competent center core after last season, when they struggled to fill out the position after trading Davis. In fact, Gafford thrived playing alongside Doncic in Dallas and fits his preferred mold of a lob threat at center.
With the Western Conference littered with top centers such as Nikola Jokic, Victor Wembanyama, Davis, and Alperen Sengun, having three NBA centers is definitely better than two. Gafford is a capable rim protector and rebounder, adding value on defense.
From the Mavericks’ perspective, they may want to clear the books with a looming fire sale. Gafford has another three years and $40.4 million remaining on his contract. Opting to trade him for an expiring contract and a second-round pick could be a sensible decision for them if they choose to pursue that path.
The Lakers should certainly hope so because they could land a rotation player with experience playing alongside Doncic for cheap.
