With the Dallas Mavericks headed in a different direction without Jason Kidd, the Mavs may be in for a busy offseason, and it may be the perfect chance for new team president Masai Ujiri to make amends with a familiar foe this summer.
With Daniel Gafford banged up all season long with a right ankle injury from the first day of training camp, the Mavericks were without their best energy guy, at least at 100 percent. ESPN insiders have an article exploring different trades around the league, and Zach Kram proposed re-pairing Luka Doncic with Gafford, who have worked well in the pick-and-roll.
Dalton Knecht and Jarred Vanderbilt would be the pieces traded to the Mavericks, and while they sacrificed a pick swap in the 2024 Gafford trade, the Mavs could get a valuable pick in this year’s draft if they choose to pull the trigger.
ESPN mock trade has Knecht and Vanderbilt to the Mavs; sends Gafford to the Lakers
Arguably, the Mavericks should’ve gotten more in the Doncic trade, and considering the Lakers fleeced Nico Harrison, this mock Gafford trade could give the Mavs more draft capital, but they would have to strike in this year’s draft.
This would give the Mavericks three first-round picks in 2026 and would have an elite defensive body in Vanderbilt. He’s not much of a shooter, but at least he’s played more than Dereck Lively II. It wouldn’t be the same big-man lob threat as Lively II, but early injury concerns have shown he can be a solid big man backup if need be. Here’s what ESPN’s Bobby Marks said when describing Lively II’s situation.
“To part ways with Gafford, the Mavericks need to have assurance that Dereck Lively is healthy. Lively played just seven games this season and underwent right foot surgery in December. Vanderbilt could give some backup minutes at center if there is a setback with Lively or the Mavericks could draft a big with one of their three first-round picks.”
Grading the trade for the Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers are trying as hard as ever to get out of Jarred Vanderbilt’s contract. As Svyatoslav Rovenchuk from Lake Show Life says, the energy is there, but it’s not worth it to make an average annual salary of $12 million.
Knecht’s production this year doesn’t compare to his rookie season. In the 2024-25 season, Knecht looked like he was going to be a future stronghold, as he averaged 9.1 points in 78 games and started in 16 of them. This season, Knecht averaged nearly 20 minutes of playing time in his rookie season. This season, he averaged just 10.
The Mavericks could resurrect Knecht’s young career, as the soon-to-be third-year man out of Tennessee has too much shooting talent to display, and he’s not doing much by sitting on the bench. He can be the perfect piece to space the court and get open looks from Cooper Flagg.
Doncic and Gafford also worked well together in the pick-and-roll, and it’s easy to say that both players would love to reunite.
Grading the trade for the Dallas Mavericks
Could the Lakers end up fleecing the Mavs again in such a trade? Not this time, but it goes to show how important the big man situation is.
Knecht has promise as a young shooter, and the Lakers have utilized him more as a first-half season player. The Mavs could be the perfect team to get more out of him, as he’s played in 132 regular-season games. He’s competed in playoff action, too, but not much.
The Mavs have been flirting with trading Gafford since last season, and this may be the excuse they needed to get Gafford to another team. The last elephant in the room depends on Lively II’s injury history.
If Ujiri pulls the trigger and injuries still haunt Lively II, it won’t be as great a trade. But if Lively II is playing and Vanderbilt ends up playing the perfect amount of backup minutes, it won’t be bad, but this still feels like a risk.
Fonte do Artigo
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