Mavericks rumors: Daniel Gafford trade possibility takes turn after NBA Draft fail

The Dallas Mavericks have some big questions to answer this offseason as they look to build a strong team around rising star Cooper Flagg. The Mavericks recently hired Dusty May to be their new head coach after firing Jason Kidd, and also drafted forward Morez Johnson Jr. out of Michigan.

One storyline that fans have been keeping a close eye on is the trade rumors surrounding big man Daniel Gafford, who doesn’t exactly fit the timeline of the rebuilding Mavericks. Now, ClutchPoints NBA insider Brett Siegel has reported on the latest regarding that chatter.

“The belief among league sources before the NBA Draft was that the Mavericks were willing to trade Gafford to acquire another high draft pick inside the top 20. Now, it’s unclear whether the Mavs would trade him this summer or wait until the trade deadline,” reported Siegel.

Clearly, other teams around the NBA didn’t view Gafford in quite the same light as the Mavericks do, as no offer came to fruition.

Meanwhile, Marc Stein and Jake Fischer reported on Stein’s Substack that “…Atlanta did show interest in Dallas’ Daniel Gafford before the February trade deadline, league sources say, but was unwilling to part with more than second-round draft compensation for the 27-year-old.”

While Gafford is a strong offensive rebounder and paint presence, his limitations on offense, along with the fact that he isn’t necessarily an elite rim protector, do put a hard ceiling on how much teams are willing to offer for him in a potential trade. The Mavericks acquired Gafford two years ago in the lead-up to their 2024 run to the NBA Finals, but now that Luka Doncic is out of the picture, it seems that handing over the reins to the young Dereck Lively II is the more sensible option for Dallas.

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