According to a report from HoopsHype's Michael Scotto, Daniel Gafford of the Dallas Mavericks "is a trade candidate to monitor should he not agree to an extension with Dallas." This report should be all the Los Angeles Lakers need to officially set their sights on trying to acquire Gafford this offseason.
Any Lakers fan will tell you just how desperately the team needs a starting-caliber center right about now. In the team's first round playoff matchup with the Minnesota Timberwolves, LA repeatedly got smoked on the interior due to their lack of a center with enough size to go against Minnesota's bigs.
From the moment the Lakers' season ended, trading for a new center was always going to be at the top of their to-do list. Ideally, the kind of center LA should want to bring on board would be one that works well alongside Luka Doncic.
Of course, that would likely look like an athletic big who can run the floor and is adept at catching and finishing lobs. This is the same prototype of player Doncic played with in Dallas, when he had Derek Lively II and obviously Gafford on his team.
The Lakers must do what they can to get Daniel Gafford
Why not bring to town a player Luka is already extremely familiar with? Chemistry matters, and this duo played so well together a season ago that they went all the way to the NBA Finals. Making an attempt to recapture that chemistry and recreate a proven duo in Los Angeles could be an excellent idea.
What should the Lakers be willing to give up for Gafford? I'd say just about everything. And in reality, it's not like LA has a ton of assets to work with. Really, the only worthwhile assets they have to offer in potential deals this summer would be Dalton Knecht and the lone first round pick they can trade. Both should be on the table in any deals for the Mavericks' center.
It's pretty obvious that the Lakers want to get this type of player on their roster to make life easier for Doncic. Just look back to three months ago, when they tried to trade for Mark Williams. The Charlotte Hornets' center fits that same archetype, and likely would have been a big boost for the Lakers in the playoffs, ironically enough.
If Daniel Gafford becomes available in the coming months, the Lakers should be looking to pounce on the opportunity. If you're Rob Pelinka and company, making your best player happy should be the name of the game right now.