Dallas Mavericks Face Interesting Dilemma With Daniel Gafford

The Dallas Mavericks were pretty openly shopping center Daniel Gafford at last year's trade deadline and throughout the offseason, despite it being two different front offices in that timeframe.

Depending on the rumor you believe, the Mavericks were in discussions to trade Gafford to the Atlanta Hawks at last season's trade deadline, but once they traded Anthony Davis to the Washington Wizards, along with Jaden Hardy and D'Angelo Russell, they cleared off a lot of future salary, and they didn't feel the need to get Gafford's salary off the books.

Then, once the Mavericks hired Masai Ujiri to be the team president and Mike Schmitz as the general manager, there were rumors that they looked to use Gafford to trade up in the 2026 NBA Draft, then have been steadfast in their desire for a first-round pick all offseason when that didn't happen.

They did trade up in the draft from 30 to 25 to take Sergio De Larrea from Spain, but they used second-round picks to do so.

Now that the roster is back down to 15 roster spots after waiving Klay Thompson, this will likely be the team they take into the season.

Should they continue looking to trade Gafford? Or is it better to keep him at this point?

Apr 5, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Daniel Gafford (21) saves the ball during the first half against the Los Angeles Lakers at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Dereck Lively II's Injury Concerns Gives Mavs Every Reason to Keep Daniel Gafford

The biggest reason to keep Daniel Gafford could also be the biggest argument to end up trading him: Dereck Lively II's health.

Lively had three foot procedures in 2025, limiting him to 7 games in the '25-26 season, and there hasn't been any clear update on his status, even though we're a few weeks away from the start of training camp.

Even if Lively ends up healthy to start the season, having a depth piece as good as Gafford is the best insurance. If Lively is still banged up all year, Gafford is under contract, whereas Lively can enter restricted free agency next year.

There are a lot of bigs on this roster, though. They matched Moussa Cisse's offer sheet from the New York Knicks, which just became partially guaranteed on the first, and Santi Aldama and Morez Johnson Jr. each have center versatility.

Initially, it makes more sense to keep Gafford, especially until Lively's status is confirmed.

If the season starts poorly or a first-round pick comes across the table by the trade deadline, then it would make sense to move on and recuperate some draft capital.

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