Could String of Injuries Reignite Trade Conversations Between Mavericks and Hawks?

A lot of conversations surrounding the Dallas Mavericks entering the 2026-27 season are about their overloaded frontcourt. They have five players who can play center, and they also have Dwight Powell coming back for training camp.

While Morez Johnson Jr. and Santi Aldama will spend time at power forward, there are still a lot of bodies in the Mavericks' frontcourt.

It has people wondering if they could make a trade later in the season to open some space in the frontcourt while adding some talent to their backcourt or get some future draft capital.

The likeliest trade candidate for over a year has been Daniel Gafford, and there were some rumblings near the 2026 trade deadline that the Mavericks and Atlanta Hawks had the framework for a trade for Gafford.

Those rumblings went away once the Mavericks landed on trading Anthony Davis to the Washington Wizards, along with Jaden Hardy, D'Angelo Russell, and Dante Exum, which accomplished the biggest goal of the Mavericks: shedding future salary.

With Davis gone, the Mavericks weren't as pressed to get off future salary, so they raised the asking price to a first-round pick, which hasn't been offered for Gafford yet.

That asking price has stayed consistent. The Mavericks wanted to use Gafford to trade up in the 2026 NBA Draft, but that didn't happen. First-round picks could be hard to come by because of the new lottery rules.

However, because of some injury circumstances to the Hawks, is there a world where trade talks open back up?

Mar 23, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Daniel Gafford (21) warms up before the game against the Golden State Warriors at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Atlanta Hawks Dealt Two Injury Blows Before Season Even Starts

We're still a month away from the NBA season starting, and the Atlanta Hawks have already been dealt two injuries to their frontcourt.

Rookie second-round pick Henri Veesaar tore his ACL during a workout last week, and Mo Gueye had foot surgery that will keep him out for the start of the season.

Even with those injuries, the Hawks have three centers they can use: Onyeka Okongwu, Jock Landale, and first-round pick Zuby Ejiofor.

UNC basketball's Henri Veesaar | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Ejiofor isn't a true center, as he's a pretty good defender on the perimeter.

Still, that makes it unlikely that they take a swing for a player like Daniel Gafford unless Landale disappoints early in the season as a backup.

Because of that, it may make more sense for the Hawks to add a depth piece via a two-way contract or something similar.

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