Mavericks just crushed a brutal trade rumor that wouldn't die with one move

After it was announced Cooper Flagg will be held out for the rest of Summer League for the Dallas Mavericks, there won't be as much major events happening in Mavericks land. However, there are still things to keep tabs on as the Mavericks approach the dog days of the NBA offseason, such as Daniel Gafford's new contract extension.

When Gafford originally agreed to a three-year $54 million contract extension shortly before the start of free agency, the widespread notion was that Dallas signed him to that amount so he wouldn't have any six-month trade restriction on his contract, as that was nearly as high as the Mavericks could pay Gafford without having a trade restriction on his deal.

There were also reports Gafford's deal was for three years and $60 million instead, though, and it seems that could've been the case after the deal was recently made official, as Gafford's representation at Klutch Sports said he signed for that amount in a post on X on Saturday.

Daniel Gafford's new deal obliterates rumors he couldn't be traded

However, it seems this was simply a rounding-up tactic by Klutch to make their client look better, as NBA insider Marc Stein officially reported that Gafford's deal will indeed be for three years and $54 million.

With Gafford locked in on this number, the Mavericks have the flexibility to trade him whenever they want, as there was buzz that Gafford could be shipped out for backcourt help before the start of free agency. Dallas essentially has their roster locked in now, though, and they'll likely start the season with Gafford before taking any other course of action, unless an irrefutable deal comes across the table between now and then.

The Mavericks would've been smart to trade Gafford for a higher level guard before free agency struck, but they went the route of using their Taxpayer's MLE to acquire D'Angelo Russell, so it's smart asset management to lock in Gafford on a new deal that is favorable after how durable he proved to be as a two-way paint beast last season.

The Mavericks still need Gafford even if he doesn't start next season, especially with how big some of their rivals got this summer, so it will be interesting to monitor Gafford's performance with Dallas next season and if trade rumors die down or not following this extension.

It would be a little harsh to trade Gafford shortly after notching a new extension with him, but Mavericks fans have witnessed far more ruthless tactics from general manager Nico Harrison, and it's great Dallas still has flexibility given the potential logjam they could run into with their center position next season if they find their best lineups are with Anthony Davis playing at the five.

It's great negotiating on behalf of the Mavericks to nail Gafford at this amount, as it's more than fair market value for a guy that would be the clear starting center on many teams across the league, and now Mavericks fans can rejoice that a fan-favorite is back with an opportunity to solidify his long-term future with the team this season.