A wild Los Angeles Lakers offseason continued this week after a certain name Lakers Nation probably won’t want to hear any longer signed a two-year contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The news was just the latest whacky layer of the summer for the Lakers, who recently went through a second ownership change in 14 months.
That new Wolves star effectively left the Lakers low and dry. L.A. still needs roster reinforcements and officially has limited options. One area the Lakers probably have to address before the start of the 2026-27 season is the backup center position. After all, their new starting center appeared in just five games last season.
“The Lakers filled their biggest need by landing Walker Kessler in a sign-and-trade with the Jazz to pair the 7-foot-2, 245-pound big man alongside (Luka) Doncic and (Austin) Reaves — ending a multiyear saga of attempting to bring Kessler to Los Angeles and finally giving Doncic the type of big man he typically thrives alongside,” Lakers reporter Khobi Price wrote for the California Post.
While the Lakers have plenty to look forward to in what Kessler could provide next season, whom will they turn to if Kessler misses time?
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At this stage of his offseason, there aren’t any flattering free agent big men still out there. Although the Lakers don’t exactly need a proven star to backup Kessler, it would be nice — perhaps even important — to have some who can step up and play major minutes in case Kessler battles injuries.
Then there’s Dallas Mavericks big man Daniel Gafford, who has been linked to the Lakers pretty much since the time his buddy Doncic was sent to Los Angeles 19 months ago. According to NBA insider Brett Siegel, as the Mavs looked for trade partners for Klay Thompson, who has since joined the Miami Heat as a free agent, the franchise aimed to move Gafford.
“(The Mavs) believed that they could get something (in a trade for Thompson),” Siegel reported this week. “… There was nothing there. They were talking with teams about Daniel Gafford, about potentially trading him. Again, nothing really ever happened there.”
Could L.A. Land Gafford?
Dallas being open to moving Gafford, a first round pick in 2019, is a strong sign for the Lakers, who would likely welcome a trade for Gafford if he could be had at a doable price.
Of course, as Price noted, the Lakers aren’t working with much at their disposal after the Kessler transaction nearly emptied their war chest.
“Without (Jonthan) Kuminga, the answer to who’ll be their fifth starter is likely already on the team. Every other starting-caliber or pseudo starting-caliber wing/forward free agent for a team looking to contend in the playoffs has already been signed. Those types of players aren’t easy to trade for, and the Lakers lack the draft capital to credibly make a deal,” Price wrote.
Gafford emerged playing alongside Doncic in the 2023-24 season as the Mavs marched to the NBA Finals.
Gafford, who averaged 11.2 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game that season as Dallas’ starting center, is an attractive option for L.A. because of, one, their need for another big man and, two, his proven chemistry with Doncic.
The 27-year-old big man is set to earn roughly $17 million next season, meaning the Lakers would have to move someone like Jarred Vanderbilt, who is owed roughly $12 million next season. It has also been said that the Mavs are looking for a first round pick, which the Lakers don’t have to trade.
But Dallas could cool its asking price if no team comes calling for Gafford.
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