The Dallas Mavericks entered the 2026 NBA Draft with a surplus of talented big men. Despite the logjam down low, Dallas selected Michigan Wolverines big man Morez Johnson Jr. at No. 9 overall—seemingly defining the future of their interior. In the process, they made a known Los Angeles Lakers trade target seem like an inevitable trade candidate: Daniel Gafford.
With a chance to reunite franchise player Luka Doncic with a center he reached the NBA Finals alongside, the Lakers should at least explore the possibility of a trade.
Prior to the 2026 NBA Draft, Dallas had two centers and a power forward operating alongside franchise player and hybrid forward Cooper Flagg. That trio consisted of 22-year-old center Dereck Lively II, 27-year-old power forward P.J. Washington, and Gafford, a 27-year-old center.
Considering Flagg is 19, it's safe to assume that younger players such as Lively and Johnson will thus be prioritized to fit the franchise player's timeline.
Gafford seems to be excluded before Washington for two simple reasons. For one, Johnson and Lively are both likely to get minutes at center in 2026-27. The other factor plays off of that uncomfortable truth: Gafford is about to enter the first season of a three-year, $54,380,290 contract extension.
For a Lakers team that desperately needs to acquire an athletic lob target and rim protector without breaking the bank, that certainly makes Gafford a captivating player to monitor.
Mavs drafting Morez Johnson Jr. may push Daniel Gafford out
Gafford was Dallas' starting center when Doncic led the Mavericks to the 2024 NBA Finals. A mid-season acquisition, he instantly gelled with Doncic as a pick-and-roll partner, elite offensive rebounder, and productive shot blocker.
Two years later, Gafford is still just 27 years of age and about to enter into a multi-year contract that pays him a reasonable rate of just over $18 million per season.
During his two-and-a-half seasons with the Mavericks, Gafford has revealed the true extent of his talent. He averaged 18.3 points, 11.4 rebounds, 4.2 offensive boards, 2.2 assists, 2.7 blocks, and 1.2 steals per 36 minutes.
For a Lakers team that ranked No. 29 in offensive rebounds and No. 19 in points allowed in the paint, Gafford undoubtedly checks essential boxes.
Each of those facts likely contributes to the fact that Los Angeles has been linked to Gafford as a speculative trade target for the better part of the past year. He not only has proven chemistry with Doncic, but a skill set that fits the Lakers' needs.
If the time has ever existed for Los Angeles to make a realistic run at trading for Gafford, it's now that Johnson could be pushing him out of Dallas.
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