Daniel Gafford is the dream big man from Luka Dončić’s past

Daniel Gafford has not only the skillset the Lakers are looking for in a big man, but also playoff success next to Luka Dončić.

Searching for the right big man to pair with Luka Dončić can lead you down many paths filled with question marks. There’s only one path that contains certified answers with playoff proof, that being the one leading to Daniel Gafford.

His skill set not only fits the desired center archetype but additionally adds invaluable reps and experience alongside LA’s newly acquired star.

Following a trade deadline acquisition, Gafford and Dončić played 48 games together on the Mavericks in the 2023-24 season, including 22 playoff games in a run that ended in a NBA Finals appearance.

The 6’10 big man, who has a 7’2 wingspan, averaged 12.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks last season.

Gafford colors inside the lines on the offensive end with a firm understanding of where his impact comes from. He took three total shots outside the paint with none coming from behind the 3-point line.

Listed at 265 pounds, the big man is a power lob threat. His vertical spacing and wide catch radius are a near synergistic pick-and-roll pairing for a ball handler. He finished a hyper-efficient 74.3% in the restricted area, ranking seventh among all centers that attempted a minimum of three per game.

He throws down thunderous dunks, like the one below. Watch as he sets an empty side ball screen for Dončić, rolling him into open space as the defender never commits to the tag.

The timing on getting this right is a work of art, only perfected through a massive amount of reps. The time together in Dallas gives him a major head start on any other big LA would require.

Gafford not only leverages his power through catching lobs but wreaks havoc on the offensive boards. He gobbles up 4.6 offensive rebounds per 36 minutes and, per NBA’s tracking data, has an offensive rebound percentage of 12.7, putting him fifth among centers averaging 20 minutes a game.

He’s a bulldozer when he crashes the glass. Watch below as he goes one-on-five in the paint to get the put-back finish.

These extra possessions offer high value, a place the Lakers sorely lacked in the postseason without a serviceable big man.

While straying away from all shots outside the paint, Gafford shows nice touch on floaters and runners inside. He’s even an effective post player, finishing at 1.15 points per possession last season, putting him in the 84th percentile.

The majority of his post ups look like the play below where he’s able to attack instantly off the catch and overpower his defender by going through their chest.

His limitations on offense can be harmful in a playoff setting as he’s less effective as a decision maker and suffers when asked to be a playmaker, especially in the short roll against blitzes. His 1.21 assist-to-turnover ratio ranks 66th among all centers qualified.

Even with that being the case, Gafford provides major stability and expected production on offense to a position that performed with high levels of variance last season.

Defensively, Gafford is a feared rim protector. He swatted 1.8 shots per night and, among qualified centers, he ranked third in block percentage at 59%.

Watch below as Devin Booker drives with Gafford lurking to swat it to the second row from the weak side.

Gafford’s uniqueness lies in the fact that at this weight class, players don’t also get off the ground with this quick of a twitch. A blend of strength and athleticism suited for a modern big man.

His main defensive weakness, like most bigs, is foot speed. He’s a stationary big who guards his area in the paint. The switching defense head coach J.J. Redick prefers would challenge him. His large body frame helps him be somewhat effective on the perimeter against bigger creators, but quick-footed guards can exploit him off the dribble.

Those weaknesses are not specific to Gafford as most centers are targeted off the bounce. His defensive deficiencies are more than made up for by the rim protection and defensive rebounding. Last year, he recorded 6.8 per 36 minutes, which ranks him among the top centers the Lakers would consider acquiring.

Trading for Gafford was already a tricky proposition, especially considering the optics following massive negative public reaction to the Dončić deal. To add to the complications, Gafford has just extended with the Mavericks on a reportedly 3-year, $54 million deal. He remains trade eligible but moves him to a salary the Lakers may not care to reach.

Depending on how future negotiations unfold, acquiring the 26-year-old center would provide LA with a cornerstone not just for now but for the future and reunite Dončić with a player he would definitely love to play and win with again.

You can follow Raj on Twitter at @RajChipalu.