One of the main reasons why the Mavericks went to the NBA Finals last season was that the team was perfectly built around Luka Doncic to erase his shortcomings as well as provide support in his strengths, like playing pick-and-roll offense. Daniel Gafford and PJ Washington Jr. were both Trade Deadline additions to the Mavericks in the 2023-24 season that propelled them to a championship-contending team.
According to NBA Insider Marc Stein, the Dallas Mavericks are unlikely to let Daniel Gafford and PJ Washington become a part of any trade talks. While he didn’t concretely say they are unwilling to trade them, he predicts their intention to try and avoid including them in any trade packages in the off-season this summer.
“I’m not sitting here saying they won’t be traded… I just think their preference is they would love to find a way to not have to surrender either one. I just don’t know if that’s practical.”
Luka Doncic’s first postseason appearance with the Lakers came to an end after the Lakers lost their first-round series 1-4 to the Timberwolves.
Following the Lakers’ exit, GM Rob Pelinka announced that they plan to build their future around Luka Doncic. Two key areas he identified to target in the offseason were an athletic lob threat and a defensive wing to play alongside Doncic.
Among the best available names to make that fit with Doncic, several reports identified his former teammates Daniel Gafford and PJ Washington to be perfect fits alongside Doncic on the Lakers. Especially considering they went to the NBA Finals together last season.
Therefore, the Lakers were aiming to follow that blueprint to repeat that with Doncic. However, Stein predicts that they will not be able to do that with the same pieces that the Mavericks used, i.e, Gafford and Washington.
Washington averaged 13.0 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 22 games played in the 2023-24 playoffs. He averaged 14.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 57 games for the Mavericks this season.
Meanwhile, Gafford averaged 9.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks in the same Playoff stretch last season and averaged 12.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks in 57 games this season.
What’s Next For The Lakers?
Limping into the offseason after taking a beating in the Playoffs from Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves, the Lakers have a lot to look forward to in the offseason. Two major contract decisions will decide the team’s potential to attract more talent to LA. LeBron James’ player option and Luka Doncic’s contract extension will largely decide the near future of the Lakers.
James is not expected to take a pay cut this season as he already took one when he signed the two-year extension last season. He will be owed $52,627,153 in the 2025-26 season. This puts Doncic in a tough position as he has already taken a severe hit to his potential income when he was traded to the Lakers. He lost nearly $116 million in potential revenue after the Mavericks traded him.
He was eligible for a $345.3 million supermax extension in the summer if he stayed with the Mavericks. Subsequently, he is only eligible for a $229 million extension with the Lakers now. Moreover, NBA insider Bobby Marks predicted that Doncic may accept a contract in the range of a three-year $165 million deal to give the Lakers some flexibility, another $64 million hit on his potential income. It will be interesting to see how things turn out for the Lakers this offseason.
