The Golden State Warriors finally got one in the win column, and they did it the hard way: on the road, against the Denver Nuggets, in a 134-114 result that snapped a three-game skid. Yaxel Lendeborg and Stephen Curry powered the night, and for a team trying to settle into itself, the performance offered a much-needed step forward.
Even with that breakthrough, one problem still hangs over Golden State. The big man rotation remains shaky, and with Kristaps Porzingis sidelined indefinitely, the Warriors are still hunting for a dependable center.
Reports say the team is already floating Porzingis’ name around the league, but the health concerns attached to him have left the market thin. That leaves Golden State with a familiar roster puzzle: if it wants to upgrade the middle, it may have to move real pieces to do it.
One possible answer is Daniel Gafford.
A proposed deal would send Gafford to the Warriors in exchange for Moses Moody, Gui Santos and a 2028 first-round pick that is top-14 protected. Gafford has been tied to Golden State before, but the Warriors’ reluctance to part with draft capital has kept the idea from becoming reality. Now, with the current roster needs laid out so plainly, the fit starts to make more sense.
The money works, too, though just barely. Golden State is about $350,000 below the second apron, so taking on Gafford’s $17.2 million salary would require them to send out at least $16.9 million. Moody is on $12.5 million and Santos on $4.6 million, which gets the Warriors to roughly $17.1 million outgoing and keeps them just under the apron.
Dallas, meanwhile, would have room to absorb those contracts. The Mavericks are carrying a $190.6 million payroll, which sits about $10.4 million below the tax line, so the incoming money would not meaningfully alter their cap situation.
From the Mavericks’ side, the appeal comes from the players themselves. Moody is injured and expected back later in the season, but the 24-year-old has value.
He scores efficiently, defends with edge, and can finish possessions even if he is still developing as a creator. Last season, before the injury, he was averaging 12.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 0.6 blocks while shooting 44.0% from the field and 40.1% from three.
He has the kind of role-player upside that can matter on a younger roster, especially after his time under Steve Kerr.
Santos brings a different kind of growth. The 24-year-old forward has raised his profile over the last two seasons and is seeing a larger role this year.
He is averaging 9.3 points, 4.0 rebounds and 0.8 steals while shooting 52.2% from the field and 50.0% from deep. For a team looking toward the future, that kind of efficiency and development carries real weight.
Then there’s the pick. Adding a first-rounder gives Dallas another piece to work with, and the article points to how that could help shape a rebuild around Cooper Flagg.
For Golden State, the basketball fit is clear. Gafford would give them the kind of center they do not have right now: a blue-collar big who brings athleticism, defensive instincts and effort.
He does not offer the offensive range of Nikola Jokic or Victor Wembanyama, but he does screen hard, run the floor and finish above the rim. In the Warriors’ motion system, that matters.
He would give them a lob threat, a real rim protector, and more freedom for players like Draymond Green and Yaxel Lendeborg to roam.
His numbers this season are quieter than they have been in the past - 6.5 points and 6.0 rebounds per game - but the defensive impact is still there. He is averaging 1.3 steals and 2.0 blocks, and that’s the sort of production Golden State could use.
The catch is that Dallas may not be eager to move him. Gafford still matters in the rotation, and with Dereck Lively II out injured, the Mavericks have reason to be cautious.
The roster is also full, with 15 players already on the books, so taking back two players would mean creating space by waiving or moving someone else. Early in the season, that is not the kind of housekeeping Dallas is likely to rush into.
So while the framework is there, the path is not simple. Golden State could still get it done if it expands the deal and brings in more teams. But if the Warriors are serious about fixing their center problem, this is the kind of trade they will have to consider.
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The support system matters here. Playing next to strong rim protectors and elite point-of-attack defenders has helped cover some of the gaps that complicated Kumingas role in Golden State, while also making it easier to see his own ability to hold up on that end. For the Warriors, that is the uncomfortable part of the debate: his new situations have suggested a player whose defensive value may depend as much on deployment as on instinct, and whose best position is still not settled. [Read more 🡒]
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For Warriors fans, the more important date may be January 6, when Antetokounmpo becomes eligible for a contract extension in Miami. If that conversation does not lead to a long-term answer, the possibility of him testing the market next offseason will linger, and Golden State is one of the teams that would almost certainly be watching closely. [Read more 🡒]