With Steven Adams officially ruled out for the season following left ankle surgery, the Houston Rockets suddenly find themselves with a glaring hole in their frontcourt rotation. The timing couldn’t be worse for a team that’s still very much in the Western Conference mix. Sitting at 28-17, Houston’s playoff aspirations are intact-but they’ll need reinforcements if they want to keep pace, especially with Fred VanVleet also sidelined for the year after offseason ACL surgery.
That’s where Daniel Gafford enters the picture.
The Dallas Mavericks big man has quietly become one of the more intriguing trade chips on the market. He’s young, athletic, and has proven he can contribute on a big stage-remember, he was the starting center during Dallas’ 2024 NBA Finals run.
But despite his role in that deep postseason push, Gafford’s future in Dallas has felt uncertain for months. Ever since he signed a three-year extension over the summer-just narrowly avoiding a six-month trade restriction-he’s been viewed as expendable by many around the league.
And now, with the trade deadline looming on February 5, the Mavericks may finally be ready to move him. The Rockets, thin at center behind Alperen Sengun, could be the perfect partner.
Let’s be clear: Steven Adams wasn’t just a role player for Houston this season. He was a key presence in the paint, averaging 5.8 points and 8.6 rebounds per game while shooting over 50% from the field.
He brought physicality, rebounding, and veteran leadership-intangibles that don’t show up in the box score but matter deeply over an 82-game grind. Replacing that kind of presence isn’t easy, but Gafford offers a compelling solution.
He’s not a carbon copy of Adams-Gafford is more of a rim-runner and shot-blocker than a bruising post presence-but his energy, lob threat, and ability to protect the rim could fit nicely alongside Sengun. And with Clint Capela’s role in Houston still a bit murky, the Rockets may not want to gamble on internal options alone.
From Dallas’ perspective, this is about the future. The Mavericks are heading into the Cooper Flagg era, and building around the 19-year-old phenom means accumulating assets-draft picks, young talent, and financial flexibility. Gafford, as solid as he’s been, might be more valuable to Dallas as a trade piece than as a long-term building block.
And let’s not overlook the market dynamics here. Teams get aggressive-sometimes overly so-when injuries start piling up.
If the Rockets are serious about making a run in Kevin Durant’s first season with the team, they may be willing to pay a premium for a player like Gafford. Dallas could capitalize on that urgency, especially if other teams are sniffing around as well.
Houston has draft capital to work with, including a healthy stash of second-rounders and some first-round picks. That’s exactly the kind of return the Mavericks would be looking for in a deal like this. It’s a classic win-now vs. build-for-later scenario, and both teams have clear motivations to make something happen.
Could Dallas hold onto Gafford and surprise everyone? Sure. But with the trade deadline just days away, and with Houston’s frontcourt depth suddenly paper-thin, the opportunity to strike might never be better.
Keep an eye on this one. Gafford to Houston isn’t just a rumor-it’s a move that makes basketball sense for both sides.