Rim-running, lob-finishing centers have become a staple of many NBA rotations over the past few seasons, especially for teams that have had the pleasure of boasting an all-time great play-making talent similar to Luka Dončić.
The Los Angeles Lakers' acquisition of the 26-year-old phenom from the Dallas Mavericks at last season's trade deadline marked a seismic shift in the franchise's trajectory and introduced the need for a specific center archetype to act as a solid rim-deterrent defensively and an high-flying dunker on the other end.
While the Lakers' general manager Rob Pelinka succeeded at finding Dončić a suitable pick-and-roll partner by signing the former No. 1 overall pick of the 2018 NBA Draft Deandre Ayton in free agency, the search for yet another desirable big man might begin this season.
In fact, one NBA writer has suggested that the Pelinka could reconnect with the Mavericks in the near future to negotiate a crucial trade centered around their uber-athletic 6-foot-10 center.
"The Los Angeles Lakers signed Deandre Ayton to be their new starting center, although Daniel Gafford may actually fit the roster better as a rim-running center," Bleacher Report's Greg Swartz wrote Tuesday.
"He'd be a backup to Ayton with the Lakers but should still get a heavy workload and would be a big upgrade over Jaxson Hayes."
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At just 27 years old, Daniel Gafford has proven to be one of the NBA's most reliable backup centers on both sides of the ball.
As Dončić's former teammate with Dallas in the second half of the 2023-24 campaign after he was dealt to the Mavericks from the Washington Wizards, Gafford enjoyed the most efficient 29-game stretch of his career to close out the regular season.
Spanning his 29 games as Dončić's main lob connection, Gafford contributed 11.2 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.9 blocks while shooting an unfathomable 78.0% from the field.
It goes without saying that Gafford is one of the more perfect complimentary pieces that the Lakers could provide for Dončić, but the road to constructing a fair deal might be tough. However, if the Lakers and Mavericks were to negotiate a hypothetical trade framework, Los Angeles' inclusion of Dalton Knecht and Jaxson Hayes may be required.
Gafford authored a fantastic first full season with the Mavericks in 2024-25, as he averaged a career-high 12.3 points along with 6.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks on a 70.2% shooting clip from the field in just 21.5 minutes. As a result, the Lakers might come knocking as the 2025-26 trade deadline approaches.
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