Daniel Gafford just revealed his true feelings on constant Mavericks trade rumors

The Dallas Mavericks have been open to trading Daniel Gafford for multiple years now, and Gafford just made his feelings about this summer's trade rumors overwhelmingly clear following an appearance at the SwinCity League in Dallas. Gafford joined DLLS Sports' Ron Harrod Jr. for an exclusive interview after the game, and as expected, the constant trade rumors came up (subscription required).

This is not something that he has been asked about much since arriving in Dallas, even though he has been in trade rumors for a few seasons in a row, and he broke the silence regarding this offseason's trade rumors Sunday night.

"If they want to keep me, I'm more than grateful," Gafford said. "And if they want to ship me off, I know it's just another step in my career that I'm going to have to take."

Daniel Gafford is ready for anything

Gafford knows that the NBA is a business, and as shown by this statement, he is ready for whatever the Mavericks decide to do. This isn't the first time that the Mavericks have shopped Gafford, and if they keep him, it likely won't be the last. Dallas' frontcourt is one of their biggest strengths, and it became evident that the Mavericks were open to trading Gafford after he signed a three-year, $54 million extension last offseason.

This extension narrowly avoided a six-month trade restriction, and the deal kept him available as a trade piece the second he signed it. This seemed like a strategic move by Dallas, and it allowed them to keep their options open as they looked to build the roster around Cooper Flagg.

Why a Gafford trade could still happen

Trades are one of the best ways to address holes on the roster, and the Mavs have already made several different trades this offseason. They made moves for Zaccharie Risacher, Marcus Sasser, and Aldama, and if they want to better balance the roster, we could see a Gafford trade soon.

There is still plenty of time until training camp, meaning a trade could still happen. Trades happen all the time later in the offseason, and if a team gets desperate for frontcourt depth, they could call Dallas about their 6-foot-10 paint beast.

There's also a chance that the Mavericks decide to keep him heading into next season and roll with a center rotation of Dereck Lively II, Gafford, and Moussa Cisse. This trio is filled with athleticism, defense, and strong finishing at the rim. Then, add in Santi Aldama as a stretch five, and Dallas quietly has an excellent center rotation. There are no weak links in this group.

But the reasons for trading Gafford make sense as well.

Why teams around the league should still want Gafford

The team just drafted Morez Johnson Jr., and it seems like he'll spend some time as Dallas' small-ball center as a rookie. There are already too many mouths to feed in the frontcourt, and trading Gafford for future draft capital would be a strong path forward. Teams around the NBA lack center depth all the time, and he has proven that he is one of the best backup big men in the league who can also start when needed.

Gafford started all 22 games of Dallas' playoff run in 2024, including five games in the NBA Finals, and the Mavericks should be able to get good value back for him if they finally move on this summer. He's averaged 11.0 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game while shooting 70.2 percent from the field as a Maverick, and these numbers should have front offices around the league at least considering a move for him.

Gafford knows that anything can happen, as he's in the middle of his seventh offseason as an NBA player. He's ready to accept a new start if needed, but he'll also be excited to be back in Dallas if the new front office of Masai Ujiri holds onto him.

Gafford has been the definition of a true professional during his entire tenure in Dallas, and as shown by his interview with Harrod Jr., he's ready to embrace whatever decision comes his way.

His response shows why he has been so respected in Dallas. He has been in trade rumors since his first full season with the team, and instead of dwelling on this, Gafford is ready to embrace whatever the next step is.

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