Lakers should part with $51 million wing to reunite Luka with Mavericks' lob threat big, per writer

The Los Angeles Lakers were booted from the first-round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs by the Minnesota Timberwolves due in large part to their severe lack of frontcourt talent.

After dealing Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks in a league-shattering mid-season trade for Luka Dončić on Feb. 2, Los Angeles had been left dangerously thin at the center position.

Though they were able to acquire their franchise player for the next decade, the Lakers were not able to build a current title contender with LeBron James on the roster.

In an effort to find a quick fix to revitalize their depleted group of big men, recent reports have indicated that Los Angeles' general manager Rob Pelinka could reconnect with the Mavs to pull off another important deal. This time, the Lakers would be shipping away their talented forward Rui Hachimura, though they'd net an ideal center talent in return to unite with Dončić and James in Dallas' Daniel Gafford.

"The Lakers need an athletic post player to finish Luka's lobs and bang with opposing centers," FanSided's Terrence Jordan wrote Thursday morning.

"The Mavs could use a stretch 4 that can spot up for Kyrie Irving."

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"Rui Hachimura for Daniel Gafford is a win-win. Both players have one year left on their deals, and the trade would work cap-wise if the Mavs threw in little-used O-Max Prosper."

"ESPN's Tim McMahon proposed this very swap on a recent episode of The Hoop Collective, so credit to him for the idea. The Lakers could also sweeten the deal with a pick-swap or two if that's what it takes, or even bring in a third team, as well."

At just 26 years old, Gafford is the perfect archetype of player to add into a lineup with the stellar passing tandem of Dončić and James. As a strong 6-foot-10 leaper, the two-way big can both soar to throw down pinpoint lob passes when diving to the basket on offense, and act as an incredible rim-deterrent and shot-blocker on the other end. 

The explosive and agile center contributed 12.3 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks while shooting 70.2% from the floor. Astonishingly, that mark falls short of his career 70.9% field goal percentage spanning his six-year, 378-game NBA career.

Gafford made his presence felt when he was traded from the Washington Wizards to the Mavericks in 2023-24, as he helped lead Dallas to the 2024 NBA Finals as their intimidating force in the middle alongside Dončić.

If reunited on the Lakers with Dončić and given the chance to develop pick-and-roll chemistry with James, it's plausible to believe that his presence could catapult the Lakers towards the top of the 2025-26 pre-season power rankings.

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