Dallas Mavericks Veteran Wants Accountability From Head Coaching Hire

The Dallas Mavericks are currently searching for a new head coach after letting Jason Kidd go a few weeks ago. They're still in the early stages of vetting candidates, but everyone has a candidate in mind that they'd like.

For veteran center Daniel Gafford, it's not as much about who the coach is as it is about the coach being able to tell him what to do and putting him in the right position to succeed. That's not to say Jason Kidd didn't, but there were probably a lot of frustrating moments for Gafford over the last two seasons.

︀︀“Really somebody that can hold me accountable, push me to be the best player that I can be night in, night out, and just let me be me," Gafford said at a camp this week. "Tell me the things I need to do, give me my job description out the gate, and nine times out of ten, I’m gonna step up to the plate... The sky is the limit for us, and I’m ready for it.”

Mavericks center Daniel Gafford on what he likes in a coach as the Mavs search for a new head coach:

“Really somebody that can hold me accountable, push me to be the best player that I can be night in night out, and just let me be me…Tell me the things I need to do, give me my… pic.twitter.com/srL9yQRT4I
— Noah Weber (@noahweber00) June 5, 2026

There is always the chance Gafford could be traded this offseason. He's entering the first year of a three-year, $54 million extension that he signed last offseason, and the Mavericks could shed some more future salary this offseason. They already accomplished a lot of that in the Anthony Davis trade last season, but it wouldn't hurt to send out more.

Gafford is coming off a frustrating season, as he was in and out of the lineup due to an ankle injury that he suffered in training camp. He never fully recovered from it and is still going through that recovery this offseason.

How Can Daniel Gafford Best Be Utilized?

Daniel Gafford has been at his best when he can be a rim-rolling lob threat, but the Mavericks haven't had the playmaking needed to take advantage of that since they traded away Luka Doncic. Kyrie Irving is a great on-ball creator, but he isn't best known for his passing. Still, he'd be a massive upgrade over what the Mavs have rolled out at point guard recently.

Gafford also has a decent array of hooks/push-shots he can use, but the Mavericks need more shooting on the perimeter because the paint was extremely clogged this season. The hope is that with three picks in the upcoming draft, they can add the playmaking and shooting needed to have everyone playing at their best.

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