All signs are pointing to the Los Angeles Lakers having an offseason focused on building a championship-level roster around Luka Doncic. In his eight-year NBA career, Luka has made one NBA Finals appearance back in 2024, the same season that Dallas acquired Daniel Gafford at the trade deadline.
In a recent ESPN article discussing offseason mock trades, a potential reunion between Luka and Gafford was suggested. The full mock trade details would see the Lakers trade Jarred Vanderbilt, Dalton Knecht, and their 25th overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft for the Mavericks big man.
With how up and down the Deandre Ayton experiment was this season, one of the biggest areas of need for the Lakers this summer is the starting center spot. Pairing Ayton with Luka was a fun idea in theory and gave Doncic a type of center he's never had in the NBA.
DA was finesse-driven and less of a brute-force type. It didn't work, and it only further highlighted how important it is to pair Luka with a lob-catching rim protector.
This trade proposal would give Rob Pelinka the chance to avoid spending in free agency to find a running mate for Luka. Instead, the Lakers general manager reunites him with someone he already has chemistry with.
Daniel Gafford and Luka Doncic need to be reunited in Hollywood
Following the end of the season, the Site Expert for The Smoking Cuban, Noah Weber, highlighted Gafford as a potential trade candidate for the Mavericks this summer. The prospect of trading Gafford has only grown stronger after Dallas' ownership made a front-office and coaching overhaul.
A full rebuild around Cooper Flagg is potentially in the works. If Dallas is willing to part with Doncic's former running mate, the price would likely not be very high, given he has three more years on his deal at an annual price point of around $18 million.
ESPN's proposed trade makes sense. It gives Dallas a third first-round pick in this draft and a fun buy-low on Dalton Knecht, while still giving them a player for the now in Vando.
The chemistry Gafford and Luka shared in the pick-and-roll was like the chemistry you have with a first love, as it didn't take long to click, and it felt like nothing could stop them. For that 2024 Mavericks team, the two-man game was their safety net: whenever a play broke down, or when the clock got tight and they needed a high-percentage look, DG and Luka would make it happen.
The Lakers lacked that type of easy, safe, and reliable option in their offense this season. Bringing in Gafford would provide that.
Luka had to rely on Jaxson Hayes as his go-to lob threat and pick-and-roll partner all season. While it was effective at times, Hayes isn't the level of player Gafford is. Everything Hayes does with Luka, Gafford does but better, at a higher efficiency, and with more force.
Also, from a defensive standpoint, he proved during their short time together in Dallas that he is the type of backline presence needed when Luka gets beat on the perimeter.
ESPN laid the groundwork—now it's up to Pelinka to make it happen. With continued talk of LA wanting to build a roster that replicates the one Dallas had around Doncic in 2024, what better way to start that process than by trading for Gafford?
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