Mavericks sneakily pulled off the steal of the offseason — and it's not even close

The story of the summer for the Dallas Mavericks has been drafting Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 overall pick back at the end of June, but a different move that seemingly everyone has already forgotten about was the Mavs signing Daniel Gafford to a three-year, $54 million contract extension.

Gafford was set to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2025-26 season, but Nico Harrison ensured that he remains one of Dallas' defensive anchors for years to come. This deal was initially shocking, as some expected the Mavs to explore trading Gafford for a guard before the season began, but Dallas made it clear that they preferred to keep him out of trades (even after the rumbles from last season).

$18 million annually for Gafford is an unbelievable steal, especially considering how valuable he's been for the Mavericks ever since he arrived at the 2024 trade deadline, and the contract isn't only a steal because of the monetary amount that he signed for.

Daniel Gafford's contract extension is a major bargain

Dallas also narrowly avoided a six-month trade restriction with this deal, meaning that the Mavericks could trade him right now if they wanted to. This isn't to say that the Mavs want to trade Gafford, as they have only indicated that they seem excited for him to continue to hold down the paint alongside Anthony Davis and Dereck Lively II, but at least they have the option to do so if things go south at some point next season.

The Mavericks decided to address their guard dilemma this offseason without making a trade, as they decided to sign D'Angelo Russell to be their Kyrie Irving replacement until he returns from his ACL tear, which was a bold move to say the least. If Russell, Dante Exum, and Brandon Williams aren't enough to adequately give the Mavs enough solid guard play, Gafford could net them a high-level guard who'd be ready to contribute right away.

Gafford should have excellent trade value around the league, as he is only 26 years old and is an excellent finisher around the rim and rim protector, and every team needs a solid big man to succeed at the highest level.

Regardless of whether the Mavericks keep or trade Gafford next season, it's clear that his extension has been overlooked this summer, and Dallas finessed the rest of the NBA by keeping him out of free agency next summer. Jason Kidd and Harrison are set on utilizing double-big lineups, and trying to do this without Gafford in town would've been a major challenge.

Davis and Lively II both have shaky injury histories, and keeping Gafford around to back them up was a move that Harrison couldn't pass up. His season last year was incredible, as his scoring down low and strength improved significantly, and Mavericks fans should be pumped up to see him be one of the first players off the bench next season (assuming they start Lively II).

Gafford's energy is unmatched, and if he takes another leap next season, fans should expect him to be in the hunt for Sixth Man of the Year. His impact on the game is unmatched when he's at his best, and teams across the league will fear the Mavs' frontcourt.

They built one of the scariest frontlines in the NBA last season after trading for Davis, and they ensured that this group stuck together by extending Gafford at a price that any team in the league would've been all over.