Report: Mavericks Are Shopping Daniel Gafford, Signaling the Rebuild Is Full Speed Ahead
The Dallas Mavericks are letting the world know Daniel Gafford is available. Veteran NBA writer Marc Stein reported this week on his podcast that Dallas is actively taking calls on the 27-year-old center.
Three months from the season opener, that’s a message. The Mavericks are not just rebuilding. They’re clearing the deck.
Why Gafford Is Suddenly Movable
Gafford was a fan favorite from the moment he arrived in Dallas in 2024. He brought energy, rim protection, and lob-catching finishing to a team that made a run to the Finals that year. Fans loved him. His teammates loved him. He was the kind of role player that makes contenders click.
Last season he regressed. Nine and a half points. Six and nine boards. One and a third blocks. The numbers slipped even with Dereck Lively II missing most of the year to a foot injury. Gafford was supposed to hold down the five spot. Instead he looked like a career backup being asked to start.
Then came the Luka Doncic trade. Now Cooper Flagg is the franchise player. Rookie Morez Johnson Jr. is a big man they drafted specifically to develop into the center of the future. Gafford is the odd piece.
The Contract Is a Problem, Not a Blocker
Gafford signed a three-year, $54.4 million extension in 2025. He’s owed real money through 2029. That’s a rich number for a center who averaged fewer than 10 points per game last season.
But Gafford is 27, has playoff experience, and is a proven finisher in the pick and roll. A win-now team that needs bench center depth can absolutely justify that money. The market is out there. It’s just not going to be a bidding war.
Who’s Interested
Stein did not name teams. The candidates suggest themselves. Any contender missing a lob-catching center should be on the phone. Think about Golden State’s search for size. Or Boston’s need for depth behind Kristaps Porzingis. Or the Rockets, who love physical big men.
Dallas will not get max value back for Gafford. The Mavs know this. What they want is future picks, a young player who fits their timeline, and salary relief. Any deal that returns even one of those wins.
What This Says About Dallas
The Doncic trade broke the fan base. The lottery win that landed Flagg gave them a lifeline. Now Nico Harrison is executing what looks like a full-scale reset around Flagg’s rookie contract window.
Klay Thompson may not be around much longer. Kyrie Irving’s future is complicated after his ACL rehab. And now Gafford is on the block. This is what a real rebuild looks like when the front office finally admits it.
Flagg has to be a superstar for this to work. If he is, the Mavericks can build a title team around him with picks and cap space. If he isn’t, this becomes another cautionary tale of a fanbase betrayed.
Gafford deserves better than being caught in the middle. He gave Dallas everything on the way to the 2024 Finals. Now he’s a trade chip. That’s the NBA business. It’s still cold.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
