The Los Angeles Lakers are in the middle of a playoff run, but general manager Rob Pelinka needs to be thinking about moves the team can make in the offseason. It’s obvious what the Lakers’ biggest is.
The team already lacked size heading into the season, and only got smaller when they traded away Anthony Davis as part of the Luka Doncic deal. Jaxson Hayes is the only rotational center Los Angeles has right now.
They can’t make any moves at this point in the season, but Pelinka needs to be aggressive in finding a center once the season ends. Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report believes the Lakers should re-engage with the Mavericks to talk about center Daniel Gafford.
“The Mavericks have significant size with Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively II, Dwight Powell, P.J. Washington and Gafford,” Pincus wrote. “They need help at guard since Kyrie Irving is out with a knee injury until at least December or January (optimistically). While the Lakers may not be able to deliver that directly to Dallas, a multi-team deal could be the answer.
“Gafford is in the last year of his contract and is expected to look elsewhere in free agency given the glut of bigs ahead of him in the Mavericks’ rotation. His relationship with Dončić is strong, and the Lakers would probably insert Gafford into their starting lineup next season if given the chance.”
Gafford Could be a Seamless Fit
There should be a few interesting center options available to the Lakers this offseason. Perhaps they reconsider Mark Williams or try to sign Myles Turner in free agency.
The team needs to explore all of their options. Gafford makes a lot of sense if the asking price isn’t too high. He already has a rapport with Doncic since they played together in Dallas the last two seasons.
He averaged a career-high 12.3 points a game this season while also grabbing 6.8 rebounds. He’s also only 26, so he could be a long-term option at center. Gafford wouldn’t be a huge needle-mover at center, but he’s an upgrade over what they currently have. If the Lakers could have Hayes and Gafford next season, that could be a recipe for success.
Lakers’ Lack of Size Already Hurting Them
There are a few reasons why the Lakers got blown out in Game 1 of the playoffs by the Minnesota Timberwolves. One of them is that the Lakers are just smaller than the Timberwolves.
Naz Reid is small for a center at 6-foot-9, but he had a field day against the Lakers, scoring 23 points off the bench.
While the Lakers’ lack of size could be to blame, head coach JJ Redick thinks the team needs to be more organized.
“I think a lot of times you would hear that word and then you would think, ‘Oh, it’s the point guard calling a play,'” Redick said, via ESPN. “No, it’s just all of the normal stuff that we try to do, and when we do it, we’re really good. Being organized is screening. Being organized is getting to the proper spacing. Being organized is getting the corners filled after makes and misses. That’s being organized.”
