The Mavericks have spent plenty of time trying to patch over a spacing problem that was obvious a season ago and still hanging around as they head into 2026-27. The fix may not come from the obvious places. It might start with Daniel Gafford, Dallas’ likely opening-night center, doing something he has never done in his NBA career: making 3-pointers.
Gafford is projected to start while Dereck Lively II continues working back from foot surgery, and that alone changes the conversation around Dallas’ frontcourt. He has started more than half of his games with the Mavericks, doing so in 96 of 141 appearances, but he has always been defined by what happens near the rim.
He finishes lobs, protects the paint and gives Dallas a steady interior presence. What he does not do is stretch defenses.
That part of his game has been nearly nonexistent. Since arriving in Dallas in 2023, Gafford has made all six of his field goals from beyond 10 feet.
He has never attempted a 3-pointer for the Mavericks, and he has never made one in his career. Among active players, he has played the third-most games without recording a single 3-pointer.
Now first-time head coach Dusty May is pushing him to expand. May said he has been challenging the 27-year-old big man to broaden his offensive game, with perimeter shooting becoming a major point of emphasis. The specific area May has stressed is rhythm threes.
That would be a major shift for a player who has built his value in the paint. Still, the league has been moving in this direction for years, and players have added this kind of shot later than people expect.
Atlanta’s Onyeka Okongwu made four threes over his first three seasons, then hit 144 this past year. Bam Adebayo did not reach more than 15 threes in a season until his eighth year, and then made 127 in 2025-26.
Dallas could use that kind of leap from someone, anyone, on the roster. The Mavericks were one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the league last season and did not do much this year to solve the problem from the outside. Internal growth matters, and while Cooper Flagg’s improving 3-point shot has been part of the conversation, Gafford suddenly becoming a legitimate perimeter threat would be the most surprising fix of all.
If it happens, even in a modest way, it would give Dallas something it badly needs and change the way the offense can function. Gafford has never been asked to shoot like this before. May is asking now, and the Mavericks could feel the payoff if it takes.
In Other News...
Mavericks Camp Suddenly Has One Big Santi Aldama Question
Training camp has already brought a fresh layer of uncertainty for the Mavericks, and it starts with Santi Aldama. The big man has been limited as he works his way back from an arthroscopic procedure on his right knee in March, leaving Dallas to manage his involvement day by day while the medical staff controls how much he can do on the floor.
Dusty May has been careful not to force the issue, but he has made clear what Aldama could add once hes fully available: a versatile center who can help stretch defenses and open up lineup options. That kind of fit matters for a team also sorting out roles around Daniel Gafford, rookie Morez Johnson Jr. and the rest of camp, which is why Aldamas status has quickly become one of the more important things to watch as camp moves along. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Bring Back Dwight Powell And Now A Tough Call Awaits
Dwight Powell is officially back in Dallas, adding another familiar veteran presence to a roster that already looks full on paper. The Mavericks have been working to keep him in the fold, and league sources say the commitment to bring him back comes with the expectation that the front office will keep looking for ways to make it work.
For now, the issue is less about Powells fit than the mechanics of fitting him in. Dallas already has a crowded standard-contract situation, so the next move will have to come from somewhere else on the roster, and that leaves the Mavericks weighing a decision they would probably rather avoid this late in the summer. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Rookies Already Face Two Very Different Early Tests
One rookie is easing back into the mix while another is already in the middle of a long adjustment project. Morez Johnson Jr., the No. 9 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, has been limited in practice because of left calf soreness, though he is close to returning to full participation. For a Mavericks team trying to sort out roles and rhythm early, his availability matters, especially with the club pushing a faster pace this season.
Sergio De Larrea, taken No. 25, has taken a different path so far. The guard has been leaning on veteran Santi Aldama and assistant coach Willie Green as he learns how NBA defenses are treating him and works to sharpen the finer points of his game, all while adjusting to a tempo that fits with his EuroLeague background. The two rookies are facing very different early tests, but both are part of the same larger question for Dallas: how quickly can this class start looking ready? [Read more 🡒]