Apr 2, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Naji Marshall (13) shoots past Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) during the first quarter at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
The Los Angeles Lakers made one of the most shocking trades of the offseason when they swapped out big man Anthony Davis for Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic. However, the loss of Davis left them with a big hole at their center position that they never managed to fill. Ironically, the Mavericks are now flush with center depth. Davis, Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford are all capable starting centers and the likely addition of Cooper Flagg in the 2025 NBA Draft further supplements that depth by allowing Davis to play as a center. Could the Lakers solve their problems in the frontcourt by working out a deal with the Mavericks yet again?
For Dallas, they could use more shooting in their rotation. They finished the season 15th in 3P%, but they were 19th after the All-Star break following the re-orientation of their roster. Not having Kyrie Irving on his usual workload is also going to reduce their shooting numbers. General manager Nico Harrison has also stated his priority on building a strong defensive core, so getting more players that fit with that vision would make sense.
Because the Lakers do not have a ton of salary cap space, including a third team could make the deal easier for both LA and Dallas. That third team could very easily be the Hawks. Atlanta has $40 million in cap space below the luxury tax threshold, which is an impressive amount of flexibility for a team that already has its starting lineup decided. The Hawks could use more two-way players, especially in the frontcourt. As has been the case for multiple seasons now, Atlanta's defense was a mess this season and it needs more of a boost this offseason.
Given the needs of these three teams, what would a trade between them look like? Here is one possible framework.
Dallas Mavericks Recieve: Jarred Vanderbilt, Dalton Knecht, Vit Krejci, 2027 2nd round pick (via CLE, from ATL), 2028 1st round pick swap (via LAL), 2031 2nd round pick (via ATL)
Why the Hawks would do this deal: Naji Marshall may not be a household name, but he's an extraordinarily helpful two-way wing to have in the rotation. Marshall did not shoot well from deep (27.5% on 3.2 attempts per game), but he's a year removed from shooting 38.7% on 2.3 attempts per game and he took on a ton of offensive responsibility for Dallas in the wake of all their injuries and departures. Interestingly, he shot a staggering 72% on long midrange shots last season, good for the 95th percentile in that shot category league-wide, and 53% on midrange shots as a whole (91st percentile relative to position). It should then come as little surprise that he averaged a career-high 13.2 points last season on a career-best 58.4 TS%. Marshall did well as a rebounder while also playing good perimeter defense. At 6'7 with a 7'1 wingspan, he's very capable of guarding most opposing wings and he's under contract for the next two seasons.
Why the Hawks would not do this deal: Marshall's three-point shooting was a weakness in his game last season and he's never been a particularly adept shooter either, only shooting 30.2% on 2.6 attempts from deep for his career. That could be a problem for the Hawks' already inconsistent spacing. He's also more of a small forward/shooting guard, which means that he can't play in place of Jalen Johnson should Johnson get injured. His presence on the roster just allows Zaccharie Risacher to move to PF, which did not go well last season due to Risacher's lack of physical maturity and play strength in his rookie season.
Why the Lakers would do this deal: Given that LA doesn't have a very long window of contention with LeBron James and Luka Doncic, they need a center who fits with Doncic and can protect the rim. Gafford already has existing chemistry with Doncic and operates perfectly as a rim-runner who can thrive off of passes from James and Doncic. He's an excellent finisher inside the paint, hitting 72% of his attempts at the rim (84th percentile relative to position), and grabbed 13.6% of available offensive rebounds last season (90th percentile relative to position). On defense, he finished last season with a stellar BLK% of 3.9% (96th percentile relative to position) and holds his own against most bigs. He's maximized as part of a tandem, but being able to pair with a smart defender in James to protect the paint will also help his rim protection numbers. They need to give him a new contract, but it should be relatively easy to agree to a deal given his familarity with Doncic.
Why the Lakers would not do this deal: Gafford doesn't offer any of the five-out spacing that some of the best lineups in the NBA (Pacers, Thunder, Knicks, Celtics etc.) employ and that could be a problem for the Lakers' overall ceiling. He is also not an elite option in any one area of playing the 5, instead being competent at mostly everything. While paying him shouldn't be overly difficult, the Lakers do still have to agree to a new contract with him despite not having a ton of money to work with.
Why the Mavericks would do this deal: Turning Gafford and Marshall into Vanderbilt, Knecht and Krejci is more of a bet on boosting their overall ceiling in 2024-25. Vanderbilt has struggled with injuries in recent years, but he's one of the best wing defenders in the NBA who can also take on difficult backcourt assignments like Steph Curry. His length, agility, speed and defensive IQ are all tremendous and he could be a weapon for the Mavericks' defense when playing alongside Cooper Flagg and Anthony Davis. For example, Vanderbilt finished last season with an elite STL% of 2.5%, good for the 99th percentile relative to position. Knecht shot 37.6% from deep on 4.4 attempts per game as a rookie and showed his talent as a shooter throughout the first half of his rookie season. Despite being 6'8 and listed as a wing, Krejci can function as a point guard, finishing with a good AST% of 17.5% and a career-low TOV% of 13.8% despite tying his career-high USG% of 12.9%. He remained effective in limited doses as a scorer, shooting 43.7% from deep on 3.6 attempts per game and a staggering 57% on midrange shots this season. He's quietly a very useful player when healthy and the Mavericks have a need at point guard with Kyrie Irving likely out until January of 2026. They also pick up a possible first-round pick upgrade in 2028 and some additional second-rounders to use in trades for veterans.
Why the Mavericks would not do this deal: Marshall stepped up to shoulder a ton of responsibility for the Mavericks during last season and it's extremely possible that they value that above any of the hypothetical impact Vanderbilt, Knecht or Krejci could provide. Furthermore, they aren't getting a true first-round pick in this deal because the Lakers are only giving up a swap. Given the Lakers' situation, they could ask for more value.
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