Daniel Gafford has spent the offseason in trade chatter, and that has put the Mavericks in what Austin Veazy of Dallas Mavericks SI called an “interesting dilemma.” Dallas can make a case either way, but the stronger play right now is to keep him.
The appeal of moving Gafford is easy to see. The Mavericks could use his value to help address the backcourt, where the team has limited support behind Kyrie Irving. Gafford has also lived in trade rumors for multiple seasons, and while he would be fine staying in Dallas, he’d also understand it if the front office decided to move on.
Still, the Mavericks have more reason to hold than deal. Gafford has a real shot to open next season as the starting center, and that matters because Dereck Lively II’s status is far from settled. Lively is the best center on the roster on paper, but injuries have slowed his progress, and there’s a chance he won’t be ready for the start of the season as he works back from December foot surgery.
That uncertainty makes Gafford awfully important. Behind Lively and Gafford, Dallas doesn’t have a center rotation that feels fully established.
Moussa Cisse is the only other true center on the roster, while Santi Aldama and Morez Johnson Jr. can also spend time at the five. Even so, both of those players may fit better as power forwards than full-time centers.
Cisse brought energy last season and flashed the kind of hustle that gets a young big on the floor. His shot-blocking and alley-oop finishing helped him carve out a role, but he still looks raw, especially on offense. He does not appear ready to be a regular starter yet.
There’s also the business side of this. Trading Gafford now would likely mean selling low.
He closed the 2025-26 season strongly, averaging 15.1 points and 9.2 rebounds per game while shooting 71.1 percent from the field in March. But over the full season, his numbers dipped.
He finished at 9.5 points per game and a career-low 65.5 percent shooting, and a nagging ankle injury from training camp kept him from finding much rhythm. A wait-until-later approach could help Dallas build more value before making any decision.
With Dusty May taking over as head coach, the Mavericks are entering a new era, but the logic here is straightforward. Dallas needs certainty behind Lively heading into his fourth season, and Gafford has already shown he can handle both the backup role and a starting spot. If Lively misses time early, Gafford is the kind of center who can keep things steady.
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