Lakers trade rumors: How LeBron James and Co. can acquire Luka Doncic's 'perfect partner' from Mavericks in 3-team deal
LeBron James and the LA Lakers' misery against teams .500 or better continued after Sunday's 116-102 blowout loss to the LA Clippers in their first matchup at Intuit Dome. It was the perfect opportunity for the Lakers to pass the Clippers in the standings and become a top-five team. Kawhi Leonard was also on a minute restriction (played 24 minutes, tallying 19 points).
However, the Lakers couldn't capitalize and it increased the gap between them and their cross-town rivals in the standings. The Clippers improved to 24-17, and the Lakers fell to 22-18, staying put in their respective positions. Apart from another loss to a team over .500 (11-17 on the season), another trend followed for the Lakers as Anthony Davis got outclassed by a bigger and stronger counterpart.
Clippers big man Ivica Zubac dropped 21 points, 19 rebounds (eight offensive) and three blocks, shooting 56.3%. On the other hand, Davis managed 16 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks, shooting 5 of 14.
While Davis individually matched up well with Zubac, limiting him to six points on 2 of 6 shooting and making two of his three blocks on the Croatian, the lack of support around him in the frontcourt limited the Lakers big from matching his counterpart's production.
It exposed LA's need for a reliable center to play with Davis in two big lineups. The Lakers tried Jaxson Hayes in that role, but his limitations on both ends don't drastically improve the team's ceiling with that look. Hayes was on the floor for 12 minutes but scored only four points on two shots and grabbed two rebounds.
Across 12 games and 45 minutes together, Davis and Hayes have a net rating of -12.6 (via NBA.com). The offensive rating drops to a measly 100.0 and a 112.6 rated defense. Against the Clippers, the Davis-Hayes lineup had a +5.9 net rating, but it only produced an 88.2 offensive rating in nine minutes.
There's a growing belief among coach JJ Redick's staff that the two big lineups can work. On Thursday, he revealed the team's plans, saying the Lakers would look to use it as often as possible.
These factors make a compelling case for Rob Pelinka and Co. to pursue a starting-caliber center. The options seem limited as Utah Jazz's Walker Kessler would likely demand two first-round picks. There's also little to no indication lately regarding Utah's interest in trading him, cooling off the rumors linking him to the Lakers.
Nick Richards was an alternative, but the Suns beat the Lakers to his signature. That leaves the Lakers with Nikola Vucevic, Jonas Valanciunas and Robert Williams III, but all come with limitations because of certain skills, cost and health issues.
However, there is still one compelling option for the Lakers, who has reportedly hit the market recently.
Lakers Trade Rumors: LeBron James and Co. should pursue Luka Doncic's perfect pick and roll partner, Daniel Gafford
The LA Lakers may benefit from Luka Doncic-led Dallas Mavericks' reported desire to land a high-quality 3-and-D player. According to The Athletic's Christian Clark, the Mavericks are making Daniel Gafford available in trade talks amid their pursuit of upgrading their perimeter defense.
The report surprised many, considering Gafford has been the perfect pick-and-roll partner for Doncic. Their chemistry was key in the Mavericks' run to the finals last year. Gafford has averaged 11.2 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.9 blocks in his debut season for Dallas across 29 games. He started 21 times. Gafford shot 78.0% from the floor.
In 26 games (423 minutes), he had a net rating of +8.8 alongside Doncic (112.8 offensive rating and 104.1 defensive rating). He was impactful in the playoffs, too. While playing in his usual 20-minute-per-game range, Gafford averaged 9.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks on 63.4% shooting. He started all games, which is a testament to his reliability in big moments on a championship contender.
Gafford's production remains solid this season as he has averaged 11.7 ppg (career-high), 6.0 rpg and 1.5 bpg in 40 games, starting 17 times. He's shot 70.5%.
Looking at his lineup data with Luka Doncic and his similarities to LeBron James in pick-and-rolls, Daniel Gafford could be an excellent fit for the Lakers. He has a high motor and his activity can help compensate for Anthony Davis' workload defensively, with or without him. Gafford is also on an affordable contract.
He is making $13.3 million this year and is owed $14.3 million next season. Still, it's unlikely that the Dallas Mavericks engage in a direct trade with the LA Lakers.
If the Lakers entice the Mavericks on a three-team deal, which helps them land a 3-and-D player of Cameron Johnson's quality, it might interest Nico Harrison and his front office.
Here's what the potential trade could look like:
Why would the Dallas Mavericks and Brooklyn Nets agree to do this?
It's never easy to ensure every team goes home satisfied in the NBA trade business. However, when multiple teams with different incentives negotiate, the most complicated moves can be completed without discrepancies.
In this mock trade above, every team seemingly secures what it requires in exchange for its outgoing assets. The Lakers secure a veteran starting-caliber center who is a solid fit next to LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Meanwhile, the Dallas Mavericks secure the best 3-and-D role player in Cameron Johnson, who has three more years on his contract. The Mavericks could arguably have a claim at boasting the NBA's best starting five with Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, P.J. Washington, Dereck Lively II and Johnson.
On the other hand, the Brooklyn Nets take on multi-year salaries from the Lakers and Mavericks - Gabe Vincent and Maxi Kleber's two-year $22 million contracts each. However, in return, they also get the two unprotected first-round picks they are likely to demand in exchange for Johnson.
The Nets secure two veteran players, who can be flipped in other deals for second-round picks and expiring contracts at minimum, further improving their haul for Johnson. Even if Vincent and Kleber are retained, they don't improve the Nets' win % as much as Johnson would, thus allowing Brooklyn to tank for the top pick in the 2025 draft.
Also read: Lakers trade news: LeBron James indirectly demands Rob Pelinka to make roster fixes ahead of deadline