The Lakers still have unfinished business this offseason, and the biggest item on the list remains easy to spot: frontcourt help.
Los Angeles has already added multiple new pieces, but the roster still looks incomplete after losing several members of last year’s starting group. That’s why the search for another big man keeps hanging over everything else the team does.
“The Lakers are still monitoring the market for big men, team sources told The Athletic," The Athletic's Dan Woike reported. "They traded for Walker Kessler and signed Kevon Looney to play center, and Mamukelashvili can play the position, too.
The team could address the position either by trade or signing, like with potentially adding Thybulle. The roster is currently at full capacity.”
One name that keeps popping up is Dallas Mavericks center Daniel Gafford, a player Luka Doncic knows well from their run together to the NBA Finals. Gafford has been on the market all summer, according to NBA insider Brett Siegel.
“He’s been available all offseason,” Siegel posted.
For the Lakers, that kind of familiarity matters. Gafford would give them another athletic option in the paint, and his fit with Doncic is already proven. The catch is the price.
According to NBA reporter Evan Sidery, Dallas is asking for a protected first-round pick in any deal for Gafford. He also noted that Gafford is under contract through 2029 at $18.1 million per year.
“The Mavericks’ current asking price in a trade involving Daniel Gafford is a protected 1st-round pick. Gafford is under contract through 2029 making $18.1 million annually. Dallas’ big rotation next season could end up being Dereck Lively II, Morez Johnson Jr. and Moussa Cissé,” NBA reporter Evan Sidery wrote.
Gafford isn’t the only Mavericks big man tied to Los Angeles, either. The Lakers have also been linked to P.J. Washington, and while Gafford has drawn more trade chatter, the bigger need in Los Angeles may actually be at power forward.
If the Lakers can move some contracts they don’t want, a deal like this could help them solve more than one problem at once. They still need to clear room, and adding Gafford would give them a shot at filling a major hole while trimming the edges of the roster at the same time.
In Other News...
Lakers May Still Be Chasing Athletic Wing Help Before Camp
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One of those options is Peyton Watson, whose situation has drawn sign-and-trade interest from several teams, including the Lakers. For a team still weighing ways to add length and athleticism on the perimeter, that kind of flexible trade candidate is worth monitoring, even if nothing is imminent. If the talks never come together, Watson could eventually reach unrestricted free agency in 2027, keeping this thread alive well beyond the current summer. [Read more 🡒]
Mark Walter Just Set A New Standard For The Lakers
Mark Walter is already sounding like the kind of owner Lakers fans have been waiting for, one who is willing to talk in the language of titles instead of just timelines. Fresh off taking over the franchise, he pointed to his experience with other sports teams and made it clear that the standard in Los Angeles is nothing less than contention, with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves among the players he expects to help drive that push.
Walter also acknowledged that getting there will not be simple, which is part of what makes the message resonate. The Lakers have spent too much time talking about the next step instead of the next banner, and Walter promised that championships will return to Los Angeles under his watch, a declaration that instantly raises the pressure and the expectation around everything the franchise does next. [Read more 🡒]
Lakers Frontcourt Hole Puts Luka At Center Of Next Big Decision
The Lakers still have a notable opening at starting power forward, and the search to fill it has lingered well into the offseason. After coming up short in their pursuit of Jonathan Kuminga, the front office has kept looking around the league for a frontcourt answer, with the market for bigger bodies now drawing as much attention as any splashier move.
One name that has surfaced is Dallas forward P.J. Washington, a player the Lakers have shown interest in as they try to firm up the lineup around Luka Doncic. A reunion would make sense from Doncics side, and his comfort with Washington is part of what gives the idea some traction, but there is still no agreement in place as the Lakers keep weighing their options. [Read more 🡒]