Mavericks face painful lesson before pouncing on risky rumored trade

Before the Dallas Mavericks even think about trading Daniel Gafford, they have to realize that their frontcourt may crumble in real time due to injuries. Last season, Dallas was forced to play Kylor Kelley, Moses Brown, and Kai Jones due to injuries to their bigs at the end of the season.

This was nowhere close to their plan, as Gafford, Dereck Lively II, and Anthony Davis were supposed to be the team's three-headed monster, but injuries prevented that from happening. Their expected strength quickly became their weakness, and the Mavericks have to be extra careful before making a trade involving one of their bigs.

Lively II, Gafford, and Davis each suffered serious injuries during the second half of last season, and they'd be making a dangerous bet on health if they were to move on from Gafford. Lively II is already out of the lineup due to swelling in his right foot, and with Davis' future in Dallas being uncertain due to trade rumors, the Mavs would be playing with fire if they were to move Gafford.

Mavericks must remember last season's collapse before trading Gafford

He has been in trade rumors dating back to last season, and he seems like the most likely player to be traded this season. Every contender would be interested in a rim-rolling big man who plays with energy and can protect the rim, and moving on from him may be the Mavericks' best chance to get some value in return and begin building around Cooper Flagg.

Even if Dallas does keep Davis, trading Gafford would still be a major risk. Davis has only played in six games this season due to a calf strain that he suffered in the Mavs' fifth game, and he shouldn't be expected to remain healthy for the entire season. Injuries have been Davis' kryptonite for years, and without Gafford on the roster, Davis would have immense pressure to remain healthy and anchor the defense while being the motor on offense.

On top of this, Davis prefers to play power forward, and the Mavs would be down to Moussa Cisse and Dwight Powell if they were to trade Gafford (assuming Lively II misses significant time with his current foot injury). Dallas can't afford to willingly step into another frontcourt disaster if they plan to make a push for the playoffs this season, and keeping him may be their best option if they plan to do that.

Gafford has played in 24 games since Davis was acquired, while Davis and Lively II have played a combined 25 games in that span. He would easily be their most reliable option to stay in the lineup for the home stretch of the season.

Gafford was one of the main reasons that the Mavericks were able to turn their season around in 2024 and reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 2011, and he has been a staple in Dallas for the last few years.

Last season presented many lessons for the Mavericks, such as why you shouldn't let a general manager have all the power and trade a generational superstar, but it also taught them that depth down low matters. Even with Davis, Gafford, and Lively II on the roster, the Mavericks were forced to start multiple two-way players at center.

They can't trust their current core down low to remain healthy, and the front office has to keep last season's disaster at center in the back of their mind before moving on from Gafford. He is easily the most durable center out of him, Davis, and Lively II, and if they do decide to trade him, they could be bringing a nightmare situation upon themselves that is easily avoidable.