The Los Angeles Lakers could look to reunite Luka Doncic with one of his former Dallas Mavericks teammates before the trade deadline. According to ClutchPoints NBA insider Brett Siegel, center Daniel Gafford — a key contributor to the Mavericks’ 2024 NBA Finals run — has drawn interest from the Lakers as a potential midseason trade target.
In Siegel’s report released Friday, he noted that Dallas’ disappointing 2-6 start to the 2025-26 campaign has led to speculation about whether general manager Nico Harrison and the Mavericks front office might explore selective trade options if their struggles persist.
“A 2-6 start to the season has many around the league wondering if Nico Harrison and the Dallas Mavericks will be selective sellers before the trade deadline in February if their struggles continue,” Siegel wrote. “While the Mavs rank as a top-five defensive team, they rank 30th in offensive rating this season. Defense wins championships, but you won’t win any game if you can’t score!”
Siegel added that the Mavericks are expected to evaluate their roster ahead of the trade deadline and could gauge the market for veteran guard Klay Thompson, as well as center Daniel Gafford, who has become a name to monitor around the league.
“It is no secret that Harrison and the Mavericks’ front office will explore what return exists for Klay Thompson before the trade deadline, and several teams are monitoring Daniel Gafford’s status, sources said,” Siegel reported. “The 27-year-old center recently signed a three-year, $60 million contract extension this offseason, but he remains trade eligible this season.”
Lakers could look to reunite Luka Doncic with former Mavericks teammate Daniel Gafford
At present, the Mavericks are not in “panic mode,” according to Siegel, and are not yet actively shopping players. However, multiple teams, including the Lakers, are keeping a close watch on Gafford’s situation.
“Coincidentally enough, one of the teams with strong interest in Gafford dating back to last season is the Los Angeles Lakers, sources said. Could we see a reunion between Luka Doncic and Gafford in Los Angeles in February?” Siegel wrote.
Gafford, who played an instrumental role alongside Doncic during Dallas’ Finals run last season, has appeared in three games so far this year after missing time to start the campaign. The 27-year-old has averaged 12 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.7 blocks, 1.3 assists, and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 75% from the field in 22.3 minutes. In his most recent outing, he posted 15 points, eight rebounds, two blocks, and two steals on 6-for-8 shooting in 25 minutes.
As of now, Gafford remains with Dallas, which will face the Memphis Grizzlies (3-6) on Friday night before wrapping up its two-game road trip Saturday against the Washington Wizards (1-7).
The Lakers, meanwhile, continue to surge with a 7-2 record behind Doncic’s early MVP-caliber play. Los Angeles will visit the Atlanta Hawks (4-4) on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET on NBA TV to open a five-game road trip. If trade discussions intensify ahead of February, the Lakers could emerge as a serious suitor for Gafford — potentially reuniting the two former Mavericks and further strengthening the team’s frontcourt rotation.
