The Lakers need a center. Daniel Gafford is suddenly on the table.
Multiple NBA reports have linked Los Angeles to the Dallas Mavericks big man as one of the Lakers’ top offseason trade targets. The interest makes sense for both sides, which is exactly why this rumor has more legs than the usual offseason speculation.
The Lakers spent most of last season trying to win games with Anthony Davis at the five and Jaxson Hayes as the backup center. That worked for stretches but exposed the team in the playoffs when teams sized up against them. Luka Doncic, the franchise’s centerpiece since the trade that sent him to Los Angeles, has reportedly told the front office that he wants a real rim-running, lob-catching, rim-protecting center to play alongside Davis.
Gafford fits that description perfectly. The 27-year-old center averaged 11.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game in his second full season with the Mavericks. He shot a ridiculous 71 percent from the field, almost entirely on dunks, layups, and putbacks. He is the prototypical lob-catching center for the modern NBA.
The defensive end is where Gafford really makes his case. He averaged 1.6 blocks per game last season and was one of the most disruptive interior defenders in the league when healthy. He has the length, the timing, and the verticality to anchor a defense without committing fouls.
The Lakers have two future first-round picks (2031 and 2033) available to trade plus the 25th overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. That is enough draft capital to make most trades work, though Dallas would likely want a young player included in the deal. Rui Hachimura and Jaxson Hayes are the most likely Lakers trade pieces.
The Mavericks are in an interesting spot. They just parted ways with Jason Kidd and are searching for a new head coach. The team’s roster construction looks confusing on paper. They have Anthony Davis (acquired in the Luka trade), Cooper Flagg (their No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 draft), and Gafford all competing for frontcourt minutes. Something has to give.
Trading Gafford for Lakers draft capital and a young player would let Dallas double down on the Flagg-Davis frontcourt and reset some draft capital for the future. The Mavericks would have to find a backup center, but the market for veteran backup big men is much deeper than the market for starting centers.
The Lakers would be sending a clear message about their championship intentions. Adding Gafford to a starting lineup of Doncic, Austin Reaves (assuming he re-signs), the 3-and-D wing they hope to add in free agency, Davis, and Gafford gives them one of the most balanced starting fives in the league. The bench depth becomes the question, but the top end of the roster gets dramatically better.
The cap math has to work. Gafford is on a team-friendly four-year, $54 million contract that runs through 2027-28. Adding him to the Lakers payroll would require some salary matching, which Hachimura and Hayes can provide. The two teams have the framework for a deal that helps both sides.
The Lakers are reportedly also interested in other big men if Gafford does not come available. Daniel Theis of the Indiana Pacers, Bobby Portis of the Bucks, and Walker Kessler of the Utah Jazz have all been mentioned as alternative targets. Kessler would actually be the dream get given his shot-blocking and rebounding profile, but the Jazz reportedly have no interest in moving him.
For LeBron James, who is making his own free agency decision this offseason, the Lakers’ ability to acquire a real center could be a tiebreaker. LeBron has reportedly told the franchise that he wants the roster to be ready to compete for a championship next season. If the Lakers can land Gafford and re-sign Reaves, the championship math starts to look real.
The Mavericks front office under Nico Harrison and the Lakers front office under Rob Pelinka have a long history of negotiating with each other. The most recent example was the Luka trade itself, which set off a chain reaction that the entire league is still processing. A Gafford-for-picks deal would be far smaller in scope but could be just as important for the Lakers’ immediate championship window.
The 2026 NBA Draft is June 25 in Brooklyn. Trade activity typically picks up in the days leading up to the draft and continues through the start of free agency on June 30. The Lakers and Mavericks have plenty of runway to figure out whether this deal makes sense.
Daniel Gafford to the Lakers is one of the more realistic blockbusters of the summer. The fit is clean. The math is workable. The motivations align.
It would not be a shock if this one actually happens.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
