The Dallas Mavericks' miserable season officially came to a close a few weeks ago after they lost to the Memphis Grizzlies in the second round of the Play-In Tournament, and all eyes are now on the offseason. In less than a week, fans will officially find out what pick the Mavericks will have in the 2025 NBA Draft, as they have the 11th-best odds to land the No. 1 overall pick.
Landing the No. 1 pick and having a shot at drafting Cooper Flagg may be one of the only things that can make up for Nico Harrison trading Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers days before the trade deadline. This move ripped the hearts out of Mavericks fans, as they never expected Doncic to get traded, and all eyes were on him after Dallas didn't make the playoffs.
The Lakers ended up making the playoffs but got bounced in the first round by the Minnesota Timberwolves, and Doncic has gotten plenty of criticism over the last few days. Doncic's defense has been obliterated by the media, and even JJ Redick said that certain players on the team need to get into better shape, and Doncic definitely falls into that category.
Mavericks and Lakers could explore Gafford for Hachimura swap
The Lakers also enter a crucial offseason, as they badly need center depth to be true contenders next season, and ESPN's Tim MacMahon recently floated a trade idea between the Mavericks and Lakers that would have Doncic jumping for joy.
On a recent episode of "The Hoop Collective," MacMahon floated the idea of the Mavericks trading Daniel Gafford to the Lakers in exchange for a package centered around Rui Hachimura and draft capital. While there are no specific reports out there right now suggesting the Mavericks are looking to trade Gafford this summer, it's not a secret that he was in trade rumors last season, and Dallas signing him to a new contract after next season while also having to eventually pay Dereck Lively II big money in the future would be a huge risk.
It would make the most sense to trade Gafford now rather than losing him for nothing next summer (if Dallas doesn't plan on bringing him back), and he just happens to fit exactly what Los Angeles needs. With Doncic now running the show, he needs a big man who can catch lobs at an elite level and protect the rim, and those are the exact skills that Gafford brings every single night.
This move would thrill Doncic, as he and Gafford built great chemistry in Dallas (so much so that Gafford has considered playing for the Slovenian National Team with Doncic in the future), and the Lakers would be putting their squad in a great position to contend for a title.
On Dallas' end, they would be getting a stretch four who can score in bunches and knock down open shots, and that's exactly what they need to get the offense rolling on their new-look roster. They have to add more shooting around Anthony Davis to make him fit better, and adding someone like Hachimura while trading Gafford would allow Jason Kidd to play Davis more at the five rather than feeling obligated to play him at the four for most of his minutes.
With both Gafford and Lively II on the roster, it doesn't give Davis the chance to play the five as much, and it seems wise to potentially explore trading Gafford or Lively II to give the Mavs more roster flexibility. It seems more likely that they'd trade Gafford than Lively II, and while the proposed trade between the Mavs and Lakers is just a thought for now, it's not impossible.
