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Former Luka Doncic Teammate Emerges as Trade Target for Lakers With the official start of NBA free agency right around the corner on June 30 and the 2026 NBA Draft set to get underway on June 23, activity around the league Jan 24, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic looks back during the game against the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center.
Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images With the official start of NBA free agency right around the corner on June 30 and the 2026 NBA Draft set to get underway on June 23, activity around the league is about to ramp up in a big way, with theAlong with having to decide on several of their players set to hit free agency, the Lakers brass will try to figure out moves to improve the roster ahead of the 2026-27 NBA season., Los Angeles may still be active on the trade market, with another trade target emerging that played his best basketball alongsideFeb 12, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Daniel Gafford and Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James reach for a rebound in the second half at Crypto.com Arena.
Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images, Gafford could be in the Lakers crosshairs, with the storied franchise potentially dangling the teams No.
25 overall pick in the upcoming draft in order to try to acquire the talented center.Daniel Gafford could be a trade target for the Lakers with a package centered around the No.
25 overall pick in the draft.
The Lakers are reportedly exploring the market for a center, while Gafford has experience playing alongside Luke Doncic from their time together in Dallas.Even though Gafford doesnt check the same boxes as other centers the Lakers have been linked to, like restricted free agentsGafford and Dereck Lively II took their game to another level as lob threats and rim protectors while sharing the floor with Doncic.
However, with the Mavericks heavily criticized for trading Doncic to the Lakers for Anthony Davis, its unclear whether theyd be willing to make another deal with Los Angeles, given that's still somewhat of an open wound in Dallas.Sep 25, 2025; El Segundo, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka, left, speaks during a press conference to preview the 2025-26 season at UCLA Health Training Center.
Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images | William Liang-Imagn Images Despite landing the future of the franchise in Cooper Flagg, who has been as advertised during his short time in Dallas thus far, the fallout of the Doncic trade has been brutal, with general manager Nico Harrison and head coach Jason Kidd being fired.The team had already moved on from Davis, whom they traded to the Washington Wizards.
With the Mavs building around Flagg moving forward, Dallas might be intrigued with the prospect of landing a first-round draft pick for Gafford.
The concern for the Lakers with Gafford is his durability, as he hasnt played more than 57 games in a season over the last two years.But theres no question about his ability to excel playing with Doncic, as he averaged a career-high 12.3 points per game during the 2024-25 campaign to go along with 6.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per contest while shooting 70.2 percent from the floor.
It remains to be seen whether Gafford is a realistic option, but if he is, Rob Pelinka and company will almost certainly explore trading for him.Ryan Ward is an NBA journalist and a credentialed reporter with more than 15 years of experience covering the league and the Los Angeles Lakers.
He has written for ClutchPoints, Lakers Nation, Heavy, Rotowire and EssentiallySports.
Ryan also produces a podcast and video content focused on the Los Angeles Lakers and the NBA at large.