Mavericks Should Consider Trading Recently Extended Veteran to Draft Rare 7-Footer

The Dallas Mavericks are in the process of rebuilding the team around star rookie Cooper Flagg. He had a sensational first season, but the team around him has to get a lot better while still being on his timeline.

While free agency is mostly dead because of the tax aprons, trades are still a viable option to improve a team. The Mavericks have shown the desire to shed some future salary, as they sent out Anthony Davis, D'Angelo Russell, and Jaden Hardy to the Washington Wizards at the trade deadline for mostly expiring contracts and late-round draft capital.

There is a new regime in charge, though. Masai Ujiri has taken over as team president, while Mike Schmitz is the new general manager. They pride themselves on drafting well, and this is a loaded draft class. They could kill two birds with one stone: shedding future salary by trading Daniel Gafford and adding another key piece to build around by drafting Aday Mara 9th overall.

Mara turned heads at the NBA Draft combine, measuring in at 7'3" barefoot with a 7'6" wingspan, but he also showed impressive agility. His times may not have been the greatest, but he still moves really well for someone of his size, is a uniquely good passer for someone of his size, and his rim protection is valuable in today's NBA.

Aday Mara in the pro lane agility drill. Moves his feet pretty well at 7'3... pic.twitter.com/afmVnYx8EC
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) May 12, 2026

Mara averaged 12.1 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 2.4 APG, and 2.6 BPG for the national champion Michigan Wolverines this season, and while some may be concerned about his rebounding, he was playing in a frontcourt with Morez Johnson and Yaxel Lendeborg.

Taking Mara at 9 would give the Mavs a center rotation of him and Dereck Lively II, which would be fascinating to watch. If the Mavs are still concerned about Lively's future because of his injuries, which they should be, Mara can take over as the center of the future.

Which Teams Could be Interested in a Daniel Gafford Trade?

The Dallas Mavericks had some interest at the trade deadline for Daniel Gafford, but decided not to move him since they were able to move off a lot of future salary in the trade with the Wizards. That was their first priority, and with Gafford still having three years, $54 million remaining, he was an option to be moved. Once that Wizards trade happened, their asking price for Gafford went up.

A few of the teams interested in him included the Indiana Pacers, Toronto Raptors, and Atlanta Hawks. The Pacers ended up finding their center, trading for Ivica Zubac. The Hawks and Raptors could still be options, though.

Would the Hawks be interested in trading the 23rd overall pick for Gafford? Or would the Raptors entertain a swap where they move off a larger contract and the 19th pick while acquiring Gafford and the 30th pick? Both of those would be intriguing options for all sides.

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