Former NBA executive begs Mavericks to make midseason trade

The Dallas Mavericks have an unbalanced roster, and seem likely to make a move.

Mar 31, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks center Daniel Gafford (21) and forward P.J. Washington (25) in action during the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Brooklyn Nets at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Dallas Mavericks will start the 2025-26 season on Wednesday night against the San Antonio Spurs with high expectations. Kyrie Irving will be out for at least a good chunk of the season as he recovers from ACL surgery, but with Anthony Davis, first overall pick Cooper Flagg, and a deep frontcourt, they believe they can still be competitive until Irving returns.

However, former NBA executive John Hollinger, who is now a writer for The Athletic, really wants the Mavs to make a trade. He recently appeared on the "Zach Lowe Show," where Hollinger and Lowe talked about the most confusing teams this year, and the Mavericks were one of the obvious answers. Hollinger helped suggest a few ideas to help that out.

"The thing that would make me more optimistic about Dallas is an in-season trade," Hollinger started. "They have [Daniel] Gafford on a pretty good deal. If they moved him, moved [P.J.] Washington and got some guards or wings, like true wings. I mean, even Klay [Thompson], you have to put him on fours, so he's only sort of a wing, right?"

He has pointed out a lot of the same issues some people have with the team: point of attack defense and guard play. The Mavs have faith that P.J. Washington and Cooper Flagg can guard opposing teams' top scorers. They also have players like Max Christie and Naji Marshall off the bench who can be good defenders.

Some fans would rather the Mavericks trade Anthony Davis, get a haul for him, and build around Cooper Flagg. They're in a weird two-timelines situation with a star rookie who is 18 years old, but the the two best players on the roster are both over 30.

Sep 29, 2025; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks center Daniel Gafford (21) poses for a photo during the Mavericks 2025 media day at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

READ MORE: Mavericks were best defense in the NBA in preseason, but it may be fool's gold

Daniel Gafford on the Move?

P.J. Washington can't be traded due to the contract extension he signed at the end of August. Because of the amount he signed for, he's ineligible to be traded for six months, which would take him through the trade deadline.

Gafford, on the other hand, signed the most he could sign for while still being trade eligible: a three-year, $54 million extension. That keeps him on the Mavs at a great number, but also the likeliest to be traded. Dallas has plenty of people who can play center, but they really need an upgrade in their backcourt.

Ideally, the Mavericks can package Gafford with a lesser player on a pricier contract, like Jaden Hardy or Caleb Martin, for that upgrade.

READ MORE: Undrafted free agent already pushing for playing time on Mavericks

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