The Dallas Mavericks find themselves in a bit of a quandary this summer. Rumors have been swirling about the team potentially trading Daniel Gafford, but those plans might be hitting a snag thanks to Dereck Lively II's recent injury update.
Lively II has finally shed his walking boot, but his progress has been slow. At a recent Mavs Academy Hoop Camp, he was only seen walking, with no indication of returning to full basketball activities.
This isn't exactly the news Mavericks fans were hoping for as the regular season approaches.
If the Mavericks were to part ways with Gafford now, they'd likely have to lean heavily on rookie Morez Johnson Jr. to fill the center position. That's a tall order for any rookie, especially when the timeline for Lively II's return remains unclear.
With Lively II potentially sidelined for a significant portion of the upcoming season, relying solely on Johnson Jr. isn't a viable option for Dallas right now. This uncertainty might just be what keeps Gafford in a Mavericks uniform for the foreseeable future.
Even if Dallas decides to bring back Marvin Bagley III, the defensive prowess of Gafford, and perhaps even Johnson Jr., would still be missed. Bagley III doesn't quite measure up as a rim protector, which could leave Dallas' frontcourt looking a bit vulnerable if Gafford were to be traded while Lively II is still recovering.
Lively II's determination to fully heal his right foot is commendable, but the prolonged recovery is creating a ripple effect on the Mavericks' trade strategies. With Lively II's ongoing injury concerns, Dallas might need to explore other options to bolster their roster.
One such option could be considering trading P.J. Washington instead of Gafford.
While Washington holds significant value for Dallas' current setup, Lively II's slow recovery might make Gafford indispensable for now. It's a frustrating situation for Mavericks fans, who might have seen Gafford traded for a lucrative deal if Lively II's health hadn't been an ongoing issue.
In hindsight, Dallas might have opted for a guard in the draft rather than adding insurance at the center position with Johnson Jr. But given the current circumstances, their best bet might be to re-sign Bagley III in free agency or explore trades that bring another big man in return for Gafford.
Lively II's injury challenges have undeniably impacted Dallas' roster-building strategies over the past two seasons. Despite the persistent trade rumors surrounding Gafford, Mavericks fans might find him still on the roster come training camp, a clear sign of the team's cautious approach amid Lively II's uncertain recovery timeline.
In Other News...
Mavericks Suddenly Linked To A Trade Target Fans Have Been Waiting For
Free agency opens at 5 p.m. CST, and the Mavericks are still without a trade to their name as the market begins to take shape. Even so, Dallas has been connected to a guard upgrade that would fit the teams need for more backcourt help, with the kind of buzz that tends to follow once teams start lining up sign-and-trade ideas and draft-pick chatter around the edges of the negotiating window.
The intrigue is not just in the name or the position, but in how many different ways the talks could be structured if the Mavericks decide to push. Some of the frameworks being discussed would involve established rotation pieces and future assets, and there is also a local hook here for Dallas fans who have followed this players path closely from the start. For now, it is still the sort of rumor that can move quickly once the phone lines really open. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Just Made Two Telling Calls On Their Young Core
The Mavericks are starting to put some real structure around their young core under new leadership, and two roster decisions offered a small but telling glimpse into how the franchise views a couple of developing pieces. With Masai Ujiri now in the team president chair and Dusty May taking over as head coach, Dallas exercised its option on guard Ryan Nembhard for the 2026-27 season, a sign the team wants to keep him in the fold as it reshapes the backcourt.
Moussa Cisse also remains part of the conversation after Dallas extended a qualifying offer that makes the big man a restricted free agent, giving the Mavericks control over how far any outside interest can go. Taken together, the moves suggest Dallas is not just shopping for established help around its new regime, but also trying to identify which young players fit the long-term plan, even as the bigger roster picture continues to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
Lakers Could Target Key Former Luka Teammate In New Dallas Twist
LeBron James decision to move on after the 2026-27 season has already changed the shape of the Lakers future, and it puts Luka Doncic at the center of everything they do next. With Los Angeles preparing to rebuild around Doncic, the search for familiar, complementary pieces is underway, and one name that has come up is P.J. Washington, the versatile forward who spent time alongside Doncic in Dallas.
Washington remains under contract with the Mavericks, so any move would depend on Dallas own plans as it retools around Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving. Still, the idea has some logic for the Lakers, who know Washington can fit in a supporting role and have seen him succeed in a Doncic-led system before. Whether Dallas is willing to make that kind of shift is the part that still hangs in the air. [Read more 🡒]