New Blockbuster Three-Team Trade Proposal Sends Gafford to Toronto, Hawks Get Athletic Power Forward from Mavs

ESPN insider Shams Charania broke the news that the Phoenix Suns have swapped their 2031 first-round draft pick for first rounders in 2025, 2027 and 2029. This seems to be a prelude to a larger, win-now move. While it remains to be seen if it is the rumored Jimmy Butler trade, the wheels are turning for teams to make moves.

The Phoenix Suns are trading their 2031 unprotected first to the Utah Jazz for three first-round picks, sources tell ESPN. The Suns are acquiring the least favorable firsts in 2025 of Cleveland/Minnesota, 2027 of Cleveland/Minnesota/Utah and 2029 of Cleveland/Minnesota/Utah.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 22, 2025

Another Western Conference team that could use an injection of talent is the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavericks have been without superstar Luka Doncic and exicting rookie center Dereck Lively II for weeks now and it has taken a toll. They currently sit as the 7th seed in a tight Western Conference and risk falling further down the standings. Doncic needs more time to recover and the Mavericks aren't strong enough to give him that time in their current form.

As such, they could be interested in a win-now move to bolster their rotation. Daniel Gafford is one name that the Mavericks are reportedly willing to float in trade talks if the price is right. The 6'10 big man has been excellent as part of Dallas's center tandem and made a massive impact in their run to the Finals last season. He just recorded 31 points, 15 rebounds, and seven blocks on 12-15 shooting from the field in his recent outing against the Hornets. In 2024, he's averaging a career-high 12.1 points on 71% shooting from the field. However, the Mavericks desperately need wing depth and more shooting to offset the loss of Doncic. Gafford doesn't add to those needs.

The Raptors have been one of the worst teams in the NBA this year, but they have an intriguing collection of names that could be fits for playoff teams. Ochai Agbaji, Chris Boucher, Kelly Olynyk, Davion Mitchell and Jakob Poetl are all capable of making contributions to a playoff squad and their long-term futures in Toronto are far from settled.

If a trade comes to fruition between the Raptors and Mavericks, could the Hawks be poised to be the third team in such a deal? They need to add a backup power forward and more shooting.

Here is a framework for a possible deal between these three teams.

It should be noted that this is just a speculative and fun exercise to see what kind of moves can be made, not what I think the Hawks should do or will do. That is all.

Atlanta Hawks Receive: Oliver-Maxence Prosper, Garrett Temple

Dallas Mavericks Receive: Larry Nance Jr, Chris Boucher, Ochai Agbaji, Jamal Shead, 2025 2nd round pick (from Minnesota, via Atlanta).

Toronto Raptors Receives: Daniel Gafford, Maxi Kleber, Markieff Morris, 2025 1st round pick (via Dallas)

Why the Hawks do this trade: They get an athletic forward with real upside, turn an expiring contract into value and replace Nance's veteran presence with Temple. From the raw numbers, Prosper doesn't seem to be a very exiciting prospect. The 2023 first-round pick is only averaging 2.6 points and 2.1 rebounds on 39.7/25/60.6 shooting splits. However, he is a ridiculous athlete. Look no further then this dunk on Jalen Williams.

OH MAN, OMAX... WHAT A POSTER 😱

Olivier-Maxence Prosper absolutely HAMMERED this! pic.twitter.com/Kr9KfZmUQV
— NBA (@NBA) January 18, 2025

Prosper's per-36 minutes numbers look a little better. He's averaging 12.3 points and 9.8 rebounds through that lens and he's shown signs of being a better shooter in the G League. Prosper shot 42.5% from three in the G League last season on 5.3 attempts per game. His free throw shooting isn't incredibly impressive, but there are real tools for him to develop. Atlanta is the perfect combination of being able to give him those minutes while assessing his contributions to winning. Playing off of Trae Young is always a cheat code for athletic forwards and there's no reason to think Prosper can't develop into a real contributor. Temple is purely a veteran presence, but he's eked out a 14-year career in the NBA for a reason.

Why the Hawks wouldn't do this trade: They might want to get a bit more for Nance and Prosper has been potential for two seasons now. There's some risk associated with giving up draft picks - albeit seconds - when the Hawks already have limited assets. Using them on a player with significant question marks like Prosper could be a waste of resources.

Why the Mavs would do this trade: Chris Boucher and Ochai Agbaji immediately strengthen the Mavericks wing rotation. Both have had strong seasons in Toronto, shooting north of 35% from deep on three to four attempts per game. Boucher offers spacing as either a power forward or center. He's a smart veteran who plays with a ton of activity, rebounds well and gives teams an offensive spark off the bench. Agbaji is having a breakout season and is currently connecting on 40% of his threes to pair with solid defense. At 6'5, he's more of a shooting guard than a true forward, but the Mavericks could still use someone of his archetype on their roster. They need more two-way options who complement the talents of Luka and Kyrie. Agbaji is a perfect complement to practically any roster. Nance is a smart backup center who can combine with Boucher to give the Mavericks a solid baseline at center until Lively returns. Shead is only a rookie, but has shown real upside as a backup point guard who can play great defense.

Why the Mavericks wouldn't do this trade: Trading their pick in the 2025 draft is highly risky because the Mavericks have really struggled without Luka. If they struggle while re-working him back into the lineup, which is not out of the question, they risk sending a very valuable asset to Toronto. Furthermore, this draft is loaded and Dallas needs to hit on cost-controlled young talent to keep a good team around Doncic.

Why the Raptors would do this trade: Four first-round picks in the next two drafts (both of which are expected to be strong) give Toronto an excellent runway towards getting better quickly. They already have one star in Scottie Barnes, so the next two seasons should be about finding talent that fits with him. Gafford is a solid starting center who can play in a tandem with Poetl while the team is now free to move on from Olynyk. A healthy Maxi Kleber could provide shooting to a spacing-starved Raptors team and Markieff Morris is a veteran who can replace Temple.

Why the Raptors would not do this trade: Sending out two young players who could be part of Toronto's future in Agbaji and Shead is a decision Toronto would not take lightly. Dallas's pick may not be valuable enough to warrant such a price and Kleber's contract is one of the worst in the NBA.

It should be noted that this is just a speculative and fun exercise to see what kind of moves can be made, not what I think the Hawks should do or will do. That is all.

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