Any trade the Los Angeles Lakers complete should appease their superstar point guard, Luka Doncic.
After all, the Lakers have made it clear they’re committed to building around the former Dallas Mavericks star and giving him a high-level supporting cast to work with.
In a realistic trade scenario from Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey, the Lakers would acquire a 6-foot-10 Mavericks center in a three-team trade that Doncic would unquestionably approve.
“The idea of the Dallas Mavericks dealing with the Los Angeles Lakers again might be absurd,” Bailey wrote Monday. “L.A. might have to overpay to close another deal with the team that inexplicably sent it Luka Doncic.
“And the Lakers should probably only consider giving up any assets if Giannis (Antetokounmpo) is traded elsewhere (if not, they might save everything to chase him this summer).”
“But if a Giannis deal does go down, and he signals a willingness to extend elsewhere, L.A. should probably start looking for players who fit better alongside Luka.
"Daniel Gafford, one of Doncic's centers in Dallas, certainly fits that bill. Rim runners can feast as Luka's lob threats. If they can cover for Doncic's defensive struggles, even better.”
Bailey’s trade idea sends Gafford and a 2029 second-round pick (via the Utah Jazz) to the Lakers, Gabe Vincent a top-five protected 2031 first-round pick (via the Lakers), and Dalton Knecht and Dante Exum to the Jazz.
What better way to get on Doncic’s good side than to pair him with a center with whom he reached the NBA Finals earlier in his career?
There’s no doubt that Gafford is familiar with Doncic’s wizardry in pick-and-roll/isolation scenarios, as he was the beneficiary of many of the 26-year-old’s on-target lobs and drop-off passes. Doncic and Gafford’s tight on-court bond/connection came in handy during the Mavericks’ successful 2024 playoff run (Dallas reached the NBA Finals but fell to the Boston Celtics in five games).
Gafford will continue to be linked to the Lakers this season until the Feb. 5 trade deadline passes.
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