Mavericks Have Not Received Lakers Trade Interest For Two Ex-Luka Doncic Teammates

As the Dallas Mavericks look to retool the team around Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg, they're on a mission to find the best-fitting talent possible.

Because Flagg isn't the greatest shooter yet, that means looking to trade away non-shooters while clearing space in the frontcourt.

While the Mavericks have added shooting this offseason, they've also overcrowded the frontcourt by drafting Morez Johnson Jr. 9th overall, trading for Santi Aldama and Zaccharie Risacher, and matching the offer sheet that Moussa Cisse signed with the New York Knicks.

Apr 5, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) controls the ball as Dallas Mavericks forward P.J. Washington (25) defends during the first quarter at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

That has fans looking at possible trades looming for P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford, two of the four highest-paid players on the roster. It's not that they're bad players, as they're both quite productive, but there are only so many minutes to go around in the frontcourt, and they likely have the most trade value of the veterans outside of Kyrie Irving.

NBA insider Marc Stein has reported numerous times throughout the offseason that the Mavericks are open to trades for those veterans, and Los Angeles Lakers fans have been clamoring for Rob Pelinka to strike a deal with Dallas again.

According to Jake Fischer, another NBA insider, the Lakers have yet to really talk about it.

"I know Lakers fans want to keep drawing the line to a trade with Dallas for either P.J. Washington or Daniel Gafford because of their success with Luka Doncic. I really don't have any inclination that the Lakers had trade talks with either of those guys of real consequence this offseason," Fischer said on a Bleacher Report stream recently.

Apr 9, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks center Daniel Gafford (21) and Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) in action during the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Los Angeles Lakers at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Lakers Simply Don't Have Assets for Gafford, Washington

Even if the Lakers wanted to try to trade for either Daniel Gafford or P.J. Washington, they don't have the assets or salaries to make it happen.

They just gave up two unprotected first-round picks and two more pick swaps to the Utah Jazz for the Walker Kessler sign-and-trade, and don't have many tradeable picks left.

The Lakers also only have two tradeable players this offseason who are making more than $10 million: Luka Doncic and Jarred Vanderbilt. They're not trading Doncic, and not many teams will want Vanderbilt.

They would have to aggregate salaries to even get to Gafford's salary, and the Mavericks need to be consolidating salaries, not getting more players.

If the Mavericks were to move off either Gafford or Washington, it would likely have to come in a trade without the Lakers involved.

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