If the Los Angeles Lakers can get their hands around another bonafide starter, the team would have a much higher ceiling next season.
The Lakers have tried all offseason to get Jonathan Kuminga as that final starter, but Kuminga hasn’t been able to hammer out a deal with anyone despite generating interest from multiple teams.
Considering how crucial it is for the Lakers to find someone who can start at power forward before entering the season, they must pivot back to the trade market if nothing materializes with Kuminga or another free agent.
He hasn’t been mentioned much in online Lakers discourse, but New York Knicks star Josh Hart, once seen as a young cornerstone in L.A., might be an interesting option.
How Lakers Can Welcome Back Josh Hart
GettyNEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 06: Josh Hart #3 of the New York Knicks looks on during the second quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers in Game Two of the Second Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on May 06, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images)
Hart, 31, has found himself a home in New York. He has spent the last few seasons establishing himself as one of those glue guys that somehow impacts winning greatly despite an often empty box score. With Mitchell Robinson and Arial Hukporti departing this offseason, the Knicks are without a true dependable big man outside of Karl-Anthony Towns. And with the Lakers needing another player to man the forward spot, there is a unique path both teams can take to address two glaring roster needs at once.
Here’s a four-team trade idea that reunites Hart with the Lakers and lands the Knicks a star center.
Lakers receive: Josh Hart
Knicks receive: Daniel Gafford and second round picks in 2031 and 2032 (from LAL, via WAS)
Mavericks receive: Adou Theiro, Dalton Knecht and a 2028 second round pick (from NYK, via BOS)
Pistons receive Jarred Vanderbilt
In this hypothetical trade, the Lakers and Knicks satisfy two major rotational needs while the Mavs cut significant payroll and take a big step in clearing a frontcourt logjam. The Pistons pick up an elite defender without having to surrender a single asset.
With over $330 million invested into their frontcourt, the Mavs will need to make changes sooner than later. Especially with younger stars like Derreck Lively II, Santi Aldama and Morez Johnson Jr. eventually requiring larger roles and, eventually, bigger contracts, veterans like Gafford and even P.J. Washington figure to be trade chips for the Mavs.
This trade allows Dallas to land two young prospects and an additional second round pick.
Here’s Why This Trade Can Work Knicks, Lakers
For the Knicks, Mitchell was a major component of the team’s frontcourt defense. As currently-constructed, the Knicks lack a true rim protector. Adding Gafford, the 27-year-old former first round pick, solves this problem. And Gafford is the kind of interior defender New York needs with the Joel Embiids and Giannis Antetokounmpos of the world lurking in the East. Not only do they add starting center and perfect complement to Towns, but the Knicks also shed nearly $4 million in payroll.
Gafford has shown what he is capable of when playing in an offense centered around a dominant point guard, as evidenced by his time with Luka Doncic in Dallas. Gafford averaged nearly 12 points and two blocks per game in the 48 times he took the court with Doncic.
Especially with that version of Gafford, New York’s chances of repeating as champions next season would be considerably higher with a starting center than without one.
For the Lakers, Hart is a legitimate starter with proven impact on both sides of the ball. He may not stretch the floor much, though he can certainly knock ‘em down, but he’ll rebound over seven-footers, grab loose balls, play lockdown defense and simply make plays that make us all go, “How did he do that?”
With Doncic, Austin Reaves, Quentin Grimes, Hart and Walker Kessler, the Lakers would feel a whole lot better about their chances to reach the conference finals.
Blockbuster 4-Team NBA Trade Proposal Sees Josh Hart Return to Lakers