Mavericks are playing with fire as a dangerous move looms before the trade deadline

Dallas Mavericks big man Daniel Gafford has been in trade rumors this season, but the team would be playing with fire if they were to trade him away soon. They're already in an awful spot, and getting rid of Gafford would significantly weaken their frontcourt.

Since being in Dallas, Gafford has been a major help in the post with his ability to play both sides of the ball while playing with tenacity. However, trading away Gafford is a move that would be a huge risk for Dallas for the time being.

With the Mavericks' current situation with their big men, trading Gafford would be a major loss to the lineup and locker room. Anthony Davis and Dereck Lively II have struggled to stay on the floor for years now, and their frontcourt would immediately be thrown into a bind. They'd be losing a player who helped them go on a surge and reach the 2024 NBA Finals, and his absence would hurt much more than anyone realizes.

Why trading Daniel Gafford would be a disaster for Dallas right now

For a team that has already seen serious injuries hit them down low with Davis and Lively II, Dallas will need to have one big man who can remain healthy for the final stretch of the season, and that big man is obviously Gafford. Even though he has dealt with an ankle injury this season, he has been durable for most of his career and a reliable option for the Mavericks.

If they were to trade Gafford, and Davis and Lively II were in and out of the lineup as they always are, they'd be down to Moussa Cisse and Dwight Powell to play the five. Gafford is trusted much more by head coach Jason Kidd than both Cisse and Powell, and Dallas can't rely on either one of them to be a long-term starter. From a short-term perspective, Gafford is a much better option to be their starting big man, and he has the juice to help them push for the playoffs if they can get healthy in time.

If the Mavericks decide to trade Gafford, it would have to be later on this season when the trade deadline is closer. If Dallas is still out of playoff contention, then trading Gafford away makes sense to try to get some value back and let Cisse get more experience.

The risk and reward of trading Gafford will all come down to the Mavericks' plan for the season, and this should become clearer as the trade deadline approaches.

Although the Mavericks are at the bottom of the Western Conference, the team can still fight to get into playoff contention and secure a play-in spot at the very least. Gafford is a player who can easily help the Mavericks turn their season around. If Gafford is traded soon, then the Mavericks may accept that they won't have any shot at the playoffs and enter tank mode to rebuild around Cooper Flagg.

A good thing about Gafford and his trade value is that he has a reasonable contract that teams wouldn't mind taking on. Having solid rotation players on good-value contracts is the name of the game in today's NBA, and Gafford would be a solid addition for any team that needs help in the paint.

Gafford has three years remaining on his contract with a cap hit of under $19 million per year. With a player of his size and ability to protect the rim and finish around the bucket while being an excellent leader who brings intensity, teams will undoubtedly be interested in him. Gafford's trade value could be high and at least worth a first-round pick, which Dallas needs to build for the future with Flagg.

In the meantime, Maverick fans will have to wait and see whether or not the team will trade Gafford. He has seemed like someone they will likely trade for weeks now, but it would be a major risk that could end up sinking their season if they do pull the trigger.