Mavericks Roster Move May Impact Utah Jazz, Walker Kessler

With the NBA Finals now in the books and the offseason officially getting underway, the Dallas Mavericks have since made the first eye-catching move following the Oklahoma City Thunder's Game 7 victory over the Indiana Pacers, with their decision to extend center Daniel Gafford.

According to ESPN insider Shams Charania, the Mavericks and Gafford have agreed to a three-year, $60 million contract extension to keep him in Dallas until the 2029 offseason–– effectively keeping the Mavericks center in their frontcourt for the foreseeable future, and taking a quality big man option off the trade market for those searching for an answer at the five spot.

Dallas Mavericks center Daniel Gafford intends to sign a three-year contract extension worth nearly $60 million, sources tell ESPN. Mavericks officials and Gafford's agents, Mike George and Shy Saee of Klutch Sports, negotiated the new deal through 2028-29. pic.twitter.com/KinN3vFri6
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 23, 2025

On the surface, it's a minor move in the grand scheme of a wild and long NBA offseason, but for a team like the Utah Jazz, Gafford's deal may actually have a few implications deeper than what meets the eye.

The biggest thing the Jazz could take away from the Mavericks' extension for Gafford focuses on one part of their offseason ahead: a baseline contract value for Walker Kessler's looming contract extension.

Following a career season in Utah for his third-year pro, Kessler now has an opportunity to put pen to paper on a long-term rookie extension, with the window for his signing now opening as soon as the Monday following Game 7 of the Finals.

During his most recent campaign in Utah, Kessler had a standout showing, averaging a career-high 11.1 points and 12.2 rebounds, while also showing out with his usual impact as a paint protector with 2.4 blocks a night on just over 30 minutes per.

Signs point to the Jazz and their young big man hashing out an agreement this summer, but Gafford's $20 million average annual value could be a great gauge for the two sides in their negotiations. The Mavericks center fits a similar mold of a defensive-minded center who can play starting-level minutes, and could be a model for Utah to work from in talks moving forward.

Considering Gafford is probably a starting level center in the NBA, this is an intriguing data point for Walker Kessler negotiations.

Kessler is younger, better, and has higher upside, but this is a good price point for Gafford. https://t.co/lBwN1wQf9S
— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) June 23, 2025

Kessler, who has youth on his side at 24 years old, has a more appealing skillset than the Mavericks center and holds a higher ceiling within his development. He'll almost certainly get a bit more than what Gafford found in his deal, but it might not be too far off.

Of course, contract negotiations could go either way behind closed doors. But, if Kessler were able to secure an average annual value of $25-$30 million across the next three to four seasons, just a few ticks higher than what Gafford landed, perhaps that could be enough to see the Jazz center get the deal he needs to stamp his place in the mix for the long-haul.

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