Luka Doncic‘s arrival at the Los Angeles Lakers at last season’s trade deadline marked a major change for the team and the 26-year-old star himself.
After joining LeBron James and coming from the Dallas Mavericks, the franchise’s challenge revolved around his game, a problem that seems to have been solved. Or so believes an NBA writer.
The answer to the Lakers’ dilemma
When the Slovenian arrived on the team, the focus was on finding a player who could complement Luka’s game, play efficiently on defense, and be a high-flying dunker on offense.
After signing Deandre Ayton, this problem seemed to have been solved, but as free agency approaches, the Lakers could go after a former teammate of Doncic‘s.
“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.
The 27-year-old center came to the Mavericks from the Washington Wizards and shared the second half of the 2023-24 season with Luka. The chemistry was undeniable: Gafford contributed 11.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks in 29 games alongside Doncic.
Meanwhile, in the 2024-25 season, he averaged 12.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks in just 21.5 minutes of play.
“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,” Swartz added.
Meanwhile, there are no official confirmations from the teams about a trade or negotiations for Gafford.
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