The Dallas Mavericks recently parted with Nico Harrison, who orchestrated what instantaneously became one of the most lopsided trades in NBA history. Less than a year after sending Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for a return centered around Anthony Davis, Harrison is gone, and his prized return may be on his way out the door as well.
At 4-12, the Mavericks are 13th in the Western Conference. They're on the outside looking in at the play-in tournament. While it's early, they could swiftly pivot to prioritizing their future. They do not have control over their first-round draft picks from 2027 through 2030.
That adds to the frustration of the return in the trade that sent Doncic to Tinseltown. It also acts as a compass when deciding the direction to go in any potential Davis deal.
Veteran NBA insider Marc Stein reported on his Substack that if Dallas opts to move some of their top options, center Daniel Gafford could generate the most interest.
"I continue to hear that Daniel Gafford, as things stand, would generate the most robust trade market of any Maverick if made available in a nod to both his health outlook compared to Davis' and his much more movable contract," stated Stein.
The seventh-year center is on the books for $54.4 million over three years.
Should the Celtics trade for Daniel Gafford?
While there was considerable consternation about the center position in Boston entering the current campaign, Neemias Queta has significantly reduced that concern.
The 26-year-old from Lisbon, Portugal, has blossomed into one of the best rim-protecting bigs in the NBA. He's also a lob threat and vertical spacer. His ability to finish above the rim and his screening are reliable sources of creating paint production for the Celtics.
Furthermore, Queta's under contract for just $2.7 million next season. There's no need for the redundancy that would come with adding Gafford and his heftier contract.
The latter is only on the books for $14.4 million for the 2025-26 campaign. However, Gafford's extension takes effect next year. At that point, he'll be on the books for $18.1 million. He'll cost $19 million to keep around in 2028-29.
Furthermore, the Celtics would, most realistically, either have to trade Sam Hauser to facilitate this deal or swap Anfernee Simons' expiring contract for at least one more multi-year deal. That's another reason for Brad Stevens to go in another direction.
The talk about potentially acquiring Gafford had more merit this summer than it does now.