Would the Dallas Mavericks even dare to trade with the Los Angeles Lakers again?
A year to the day of the infamous Luka Doncic deal that changed the trajectory of both franchises, Bleacher Report's Andy Bailey has floated the possibility that the Lakers and the Mavericks could be trade partners once more ahead of the NBA's trade deadline on Thursday.
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Bailey has proposed a three-team that includes the Utah Jazz and would see the Lakers pair Doncic with old friend Daniel Gafford as Los Angeles gears up for a postseason run. The trade in full would look like:
Lakers receive: Daniel Gafford and a 2029 second-round pick from Utah
Mavericks receive: Gabe Vincent and a top-five protected 2031 first-round pick from L.A.
Jazz receive: Dalton Knecht and Dante Exum
In Gafford, Doncic would find a lob threat that he knows well from their shared time together in Dallas, which included a run to the 2024 NBA Finals. The Mavericks would take on Gabe Vincent's salary and receive a first-round pick from the Lakers that could have significant value in a few years.
Meanwhile, the Jazz would reunite with Dante Exum while adding an intriguing developmental piece in Dalton Knecht, who has fallen out of favor in Los Angeles after a promising rookie year.
Gafford is in the first year of a three-year, $54 million contract that figures to age well. The 27-year-old is averaging 8.0 points and 6.4 rebounds in his seventh NBA season.
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