The Mavericks’ biggest problem is easy to spot, even after a better-than-expected start: they have too many bodies up front and not enough help in the backcourt. That imbalance is why Daniel Gafford has suddenly become one of the most complicated names on Dallas’ roster as the trade deadline approaches.
With Kyrie Irving carrying the load and Walter Clayton Jr. logging major minutes after being signed on opening night, the Mavericks’ lack of guard depth is showing up every night. A trade could ease that pressure and bring in the shot creation Dallas badly needs. It would also help clear a frontcourt logjam that’s only going to get tighter.
Gafford looks like the cleanest trade candidate on paper. He has been in rumors for multiple years, he brings a skill set teams want, and Dallas has other centers in the mix. But his recent play has made the decision far less straightforward.
That wasn’t the case during the offseason, when plenty of Mavericks fans were open to moving him after a rough 2025-26 campaign. Gafford played only 55 games last season and dealt with a nagging ankle injury. This year, though, he’s looked like a different player.
He’s putting up 9.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, a career-high 2.0 assists, 0.9 steals, and 1.9 blocks per game while shooting 67.4 percent from the field. The blocks are especially telling - his athleticism looks back to normal, and he’s been making his presence felt around the rim again.
The recent box scores back that up. Gafford scored 20 points against the Sacramento Kings earlier this week and added 18 points against the Houston Rockets last week.
He’s been a real force in the paint, and Dallas has leaned on him heavily. He and Morez Johnson Jr. have been the only two healthy big men that Dusty May trusts.
Still, the roster math may force the Mavericks’ hand. Dereck Lively II and Santi Aldama have yet to play this season, and once they return, Gafford’s minutes will naturally shrink. There’s only so much playing time to go around, and Dallas can’t realistically give Gafford, Lively, Aldama, and Johnson all a significant role.
That’s why a trade keeps coming back into the conversation. The Mavericks’ need for guard help is obvious, and moving Gafford before the deadline could be the most direct way to address it. Dallas needs more balance if it wants to be a dangerous playoff team, and dealing from its frontcourt depth would help create that.
But the risk is real. If Gafford keeps playing at this level, moving him gets a lot harder to justify. And with Lively having struggled to stay on the court, Dallas is stuck weighing short-term roster fit against the possibility of giving away a center who’s back to making a difference.
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Mavericks Suddenly Have A Kyrie Concern They Can't Ignore
Kyrie Irving popped up on Dallas injury report ahead of the upcoming game against the Utah Jazz, and the designation is enough to make the Mavericks pay attention. He is listed as probable because of an illness, a reminder that even with the season moving along, the team still has to manage the health of a player who has already missed time this year and remains central to everything Dallas wants to do on offense.
Irvings status comes against the backdrop of a Mavericks report that includes several other players dealing with their own injury issues, which has become a familiar part of the nightly calculus. Dallas has already seen Irving miss two games this season for injury management, and after working his way back from an ACL injury, the last thing the team wants is another setback to complicate its rotation. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks May Finally Get The Frontcourt Fix Theyve Been Missing
The Mavericks are getting closer to a healthier frontcourt mix ahead of their matchup with the Jazz, with Santi Aldama upgraded to probable after working back from knee surgery in March. Max Christie is also listed as probable after sitting out the previous game with hip soreness, while Dallas still has other players unavailable as it continues to manage a thin rotation.
Aldamas return is the part that stands out most for Dallas, because his presence should help with the kind of frontcourt shooting and offensive spacing the team has been missing. The Mavericks have been looking for more balance around the basket and beyond the arc, and getting Aldama back in the fold could give them a different look when they need it most. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Are Staying In The Race Before Their Roster Gets Whole
The Mavericks have managed to keep pace early, opening the season 4-3 even while leaning through some injury-related absences. For a team still waiting to get its roster closer to whole, that kind of start matters, especially with the frontcourt and perimeter both set to get some help once the injured pieces begin filtering back in.
Santi Aldama is expected to return soon, and his shooting and versatility should give Dallas a useful boost up front. Tarik Biberovic also looms as a potential answer on the wing as a sharpshooter who could help address the teams three-point shooting, while Dereck Lively II remains sidelined after foot surgery with no immediate return date, leaving the Mavericks to keep piecing things together for now. [Read more 🡒]