Mavericks' surprise Daniel Gafford twist rips door wide open for a sudden trade

On Monday evening, the Dallas Mavericks made their biggest move of the offseason thus far by signing Daniel Gafford to a three-year, $54 million contract extension to remain in Dallas over the next four years. Gafford returning to Dallas is a move that most fans wanted (despite being initially shocked), as he has played a key role in their success over the last two seasons and helped them reach the 2024 NBA Finals as the starting center, but the details of this contract give the Mavericks the chance to trade him right away rather than having a six-month restriction.

If the Mavericks were to have paid Gafford even just a hair more, that would have gotten them dangerously close to the 120-percent raise rule that would have given him a six-month trade restriction. Since Gafford's extension, which begins in the 2026-27 season, is projected to be right under a 120-percent raise from what he will make in the 2025-26 season (just under $14.4 million), Dallas can trade him as soon as right now if they'd like to.

While the Mavericks don't want to move Gafford, the contract that he signed gives them the ability to do so if the right deal falls into their lap, and the fact that his contract was signed for this number is raising some eyebrows around the fan base as everyone begins to speculate what their next move will be. Whether the Mavericks will actually trade Gafford or not remains unknown, but the possibility that he doesn't remain with Dallas is definitely in the cards this summer.

Gafford's contract twist gives Mavs full control to trade him whenever

It's been known for weeks that the Mavericks are looking to upgrade their backcourt to help hold them over until Kyrie Irving recovers from his ACL tear at some point during the second half of the season, and if they want to make a big upgrade in that department, Gafford may have to be involved.

Over his season and a half in Dallas (86 games), Gafford has averaged 11.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.5 steals, and 1.8 blocks per game while shooting 72.7 percent from the field. Gafford has taken his game to the next level as a member of the Mavs, and his energy, dunks, and blocks have made the city of Dallas fall in love with him since the moment the Washington Wizards traded him to the Mavs.

Gafford's player progression in Dallas, combined with his tradable contract, excellent availability (besides the MCL sprain from last season), shot-blocking, and ability as a roller in the pick-and-roll, makes him someone who teams around the league will definitely be calling about, as the Mavericks have a surplus of frontcourt depth.

The question remains how serious the Mavericks are about keeping Gafford, as they are going to have to give up some value to get some value if they plan on trading for a starting-level guard. Dallas is also hoping to keep P.J. Washington this summer, just like Gafford, but it seems inevitable that the Mavs will be forced to trade one of those two players before the season begins.

With Cooper Flagg joining the mix officially tomorrow, as he is set to be the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, Dallas may be forced to trade either Gafford or Washington due to the frontcourt logjam that will undeniably be in place to start the season if they roll with the current roster.

With the Mavericks' preference to keep both Washington and Gafford, there is a chance that both of them are on the roster to begin next season, but the fact that Gafford's contract narrowly avoided the six-month trade restriction allows Dallas to trade him if they change their minds in this department.