The Dallas Mavericks might have one too many big men in their lineup. While depth at a position is valuable and enviable across the NBA, their center and power forward group is fairly crowded, which could lead to some shifting around over the offseason. With no direct shade lobbied in Anthony Davis‘s direction, the Mavericks would do well to have reliable depth in the paint. That said, with the expected addition of Cooper Flagg barring any drastic Nico Harrison 2.0 blockbuster trades involving their No.1 draft pick, it makes at least one big man on the Mavericks roster expendable they could trade: Daniel Gafford.
Mavericks Have Valuable Offseason Trade Asset in Reliable Center
Mavericks’ Daniel Gafford could be the odd big man out in Dallas with a likely trade happening this summer
As currently constructed, the Mavs have Dereck Lively II, Dwight Powell, Gafford, and the main character, Davis, as part of their center and power-forward depth. If you want to include P.J. Washington in the mix, it’s fair, given his official position as a power forward. However, Washington spends much more time hovering around the perimeter than he does closer to the basket. Positionally speaking, Gafford and Powell are the Mav’s two centers, but Lively and Davis can slide into the five at any point during the season. With Flagg soon to join the lineup, although he’s not primarily a center, again, he can play the position, further cramping the Mavericks’ big-man group.
So, where does that leave Dallas? Likely, one of their big men will be moved this summer. Gafford, a pivotal piece in the Mavericks finals run last season following a midseason trade, is the likely trade chip. According to Bill Simmons, he foresees that Gafford will be in demand for the many teams that desperately need a center. On his podcast, The Bill Simmons Podcast, the former ESPN personality believes teams like the Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks are possible trade prospects for Gafford.
“There’s a lot of teams that need a center,” Simmons said. “I think [Daniel] Gaffford’s going to be in demand, too. I think both of those guys, if Dallas tries to trade Gafford, I think he’s gonna have real value, because we just see it every year — these teams like the Lakers, that killed them that they couldn’t play Jaxson Hayes. Going down the line, Milwaukee couldn’t find any center to play because [Brook] Lopez finally got old.”
Mavs have plenty of options without Gafford
Again, depth is valuable and enviable across the league, and it’s what every team wishes they had, especially as playoff and championship contenders. While the Mavericks weren’t either of those this past season, the trade for Davis was meant to vault them to that status. Despite Kyrie Irving‘s injury and the expectation that he will miss a significant portion of the 2025-26 season, Dallas doesn’t appear willing to make it a gap year. Irving or no Irving, they want to contend, and the recent report that they’re searching for a point guard to step in for Kyrie proves that.
If Dallas does trade Gafford, it won’t induce a hit so hard that they can’t recover from it. With Davis on the floor and Lively, Flagg, and Powell in tow, the Mavericks have more than enough size and depth at their disposal. As for Gafford, he’ll almost certainly find more playing time in a larger role elsewhere.
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