Klay Thompson's buyout may have saved another Mavericks veteran from a trade

Klay Thompson's Dallas Mavericks career is over after just two seasons. Dallas bought out Klay Thompson on Friday after attempting to find a trade partner for multiple weeks, and he officially signed with the Miami Heat on Sunday.

Mavericks' roster crunch forced them to make a move

Moving on from Thompson felt inevitable, as the Mavericks had to trim their roster down to 15 players on standard contracts before the start of the regular season. He was also not on the same timeline as the Mavs, as Dallas has prioritized building for the future while Thompson is focused on winning.

With Thompson gone, Dallas now has 15 players on standard deals rather than 16. As a result, Daniel Gafford may be safe from being traded for the time being.

Before Thompson was bought out, Gafford and Thompson seemed like the team's most expendable players. Gafford has been in trade rumors for multiple seasons now, while Thompson preferred to play for a contender.

Why they may keep Daniel Gafford now

No one seemed more trade-bound than the two aforementioned players, but Gafford may actually stay on the team heading into the regular season. The Mavs are no longer forced to make a roster-cutting move, making Gafford's spot on the team much more secure.

This couldn't be said if Dallas hadn't bought out Thompson, and their decision regarding what they do with Gafford is one of the most intriguing stories of the home stretch of the offseason.

On one hand, the Mavericks could explore trading their veteran big man for a point guard. They desperately need more guard depth behind Kyrie Irving, and trading Gafford seems like their best opportunity to do this.

On the other hand, Dallas needs Gafford's presence inside. Dereck Lively II has struggled to stay healthy over his first three seasons in the NBA, and Gafford has been a solid backup option behind him for multiple years. Trading Gafford would put Dallas' center rotation in a bind, as there's no guarantee that Lively II will be fully healthy before the start of the regular season.

Dallas may need Gafford more than expected

On top of this, Santi Aldama is still recovering from knee surgery that he underwent in March. He should be healthy for the start of training camp, but if he and Lively II aren't healthy for the start of the regular season and Dallas moves on from Gafford, Dusty May's center rotation would be down to Moussa Cisse and Morez Johnson Jr.

This is more than enough reason to keep Gafford to begin the season, as he has proven to be a reliable starter when needed. He has started and came off the bench since arriving in Dallas, and as shown by his performance near the end of the season, he can still be extremely productive when at his best.

His energy, low-post defense, and ability as an alley-oop finisher have helped him become a fan favorite over the last few seasons, and he could end up staying with the Mavericks longer than expected after the team's Thompson move.

It once seemed like Gafford was as good as gone, but with the team's roster down to 15 players on standard deals, Gafford's spot on the team feels safer...for now.

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