Mavericks must make impossible choice between trading 2 fan favorites this offseason

While the Dallas Mavericks' offseason is all of a sudden cooking with steam, considering they won the NBA Draft Lottery earlier this month and will draft Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 overall pick in less than a month, landing Flagg also created some complications that must be handled before the 2025-26 season begins.

Dallas' already-loaded frontcourt is now even more crowded, and with Flagg slated to become the starting small forward on day one alongside Anthony Davis and Dereck Lively II, the Mavericks could be forced to trade either Daniel Gafford or P.J. Washington.

Both Washington and Gafford have been key for Dallas over the last season and a half, as they were crucial pieces of the Mavs' run to the NBA Finals last season and are beloved by the fanbase, but Nico Harrison may have to choose between them this summer.

Mavericks will have to choose between Washington and Gafford

A case can be made about why Harrison should trade each one of them, as the frontcourt naturally has a logjam due to the addition of Flagg and Dallas badly needs backcourt depth, but trading Gafford or Washington has to do with far more than just on-court roster construction.

After re-signing Kyrie Irving (which seems to be a done deal at this point) and drafting Flagg, the Mavericks will likely be over the second apron. The second apron limits teams' ability to make roster moves, as it comes with serious trade and free agency restrictions that Dallas must avoid.

We have seen the second apron significantly limit teams like the Phoenix Suns in the past, and the Mavericks should do whatever they can to get below that threshold. Trading Gafford or Washington to a team with cap space for a smaller contract and draft capital would be an intriguing way to do that, but losing either one of them could rip Mavericks fans' hearts out once again.

Trading Gafford seems to make more sense, as Lively II, Davis, and a free agent center (potentially Kai Jones if they re-sign him) can hold down the center spot, and considering Davis will likely close most games at the five, it wouldn't make much sense for Dallas to have two of their top six or so players on the bench (Lively II and Gafford) during crunch time. The Mavericks have a surplus of centers, but on the other hand, it could make sense to keep Gafford since Davis and Lively II are notorious for being injured.

Washington's case for the Mavericks to trade him will likely lie more upon his desires, as Flagg coming to Dallas will send Washington to the bench. Washington would likely be the Mavs' sixth man, but considering he has started over 80 percent of the games in his career, this could be a move that he isn't happy with. He also happens to be in a contract year, and if the Mavs don't extend him this summer, he'll be wanting to show the world that he is worth a big contract next offseason.

Washington wouldn't be able to do that as much if he were coming off the bench instead of being a starter, and the Mavs could explore trading him this summer or at the trade deadline if signs are pointing to them losing him for nothing next summer.

But, Washington being content with a sixth man role is also a possibility for Dallas, and this would be ideal for both parties. The Mavericks could explore signing Washington to an extension before the season begins while making it clear he would come off the bench.

Washington is the definition of a team player and loves the city of Dallas, and even though he wouldn't be starting, the Mavericks would likely close with him alongside Davis, Flagg, Klay Thompson, and Kyrie Irving. Keeping Washington in Dallas would give them an incredible amount of wing depth and defense to throw at opposing forwards all season long, and losing Washington in a trade could have potentially devastating consequences. Washington has been a major X-factor ever since he arrived in Dallas, and since Harrison's team is built upon solid defense and size, they'd be losing a key part of that.

Regardless, Harrison will likely be forced to trade either Washington or Gafford before the start of next season, and a case can be made about why it may be smart to trade each of them. Harrison and the Mavericks will be under a major microscope this summer from fans when it comes to trades, and Dallas making the right call here will be pivotal for the early stages of the Flagg era.