With preseason action underway, the Los Angeles Lakers are preparing for their first full season with Luka Doncic leading the charge
The Lakers shocked the NBA when they acquired the five-time All-Star from the Dallas Mavericks last season, and now he’s taking over as the face of the franchise alongside LeBron James. While Los Angeles is attempting to build a roster capable of contending before James’ eventual retirement, the organization is now officially on Doncic time.
Looking back at his years in Dallas, the superstar point guard has always thrived with a lob threat. The Lakers landed Deandre Ayton in free agency after his buyout with the Portland Trail Blazers, though they may be looking to add another rim-running center for Doncic.
MORE: NBA analyst makes bold prediction for Lakers' Deandre Ayton
NBA analyst urges Lakers to trade for Daniel Gafford
The Mavericks acquired Anthony Davis in the Doncic trade and are now stacked in the frontcourt. Although the team made long-term commitments to P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford this summer, Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz believes the latter could be an “ambitious trade target” for Los Angeles.
“Gafford brings experience playing alongside Luka Doncic with the Dallas Mavericks and averaged 12.3 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks while making 70.2 percent of his shots last season,” he wrote. “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.”
Ayton is looking to revitalize his career after two injury-plagued seasons with the Trail Blazers. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft has struggled with durability during his career and hasn’t appeared in more than 70 regular-season games since his rookie season with the Phoenix Suns.
After trading Davis last season, the Lakers relied heavily on Hayes. However, he fell out of favor in the playoffs and has struggled defending bigger centers without fouling, as evidenced by his average of 2.4 fouls in just 19.5 minutes per game last season.
Gafford has thrived alongside Doncic in the past and is a superior defender compared to both Ayton and Hayes. The Mavericks have the frontcourt assets to make a deal, and Gafford is a viable trade option for Los Angeles.
More NBA news:
- NBA analyst predicts All-NBA leap for Thunder's $250 million star
- Jaylen Brown gets real about adjusting to life with new-look Celtics
- Mavericks center Dereck Lively II turns heads with sudden growth spurt
- Doc Rivers reveals Bucks starting point guard after cutting ties with Damian Lillard
- Bulls' Josh Giddey reflects on new $100 million deal after offseason standstill