Latest rumors suggest Mavericks could be gearing up for surprise trade deadline

After yesterday's loss to the Charlotte Hornets, the Dallas Mavericks are 23-20 and the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference, and they have now lost nine of their last 12 games.

Dallas is struggling to stay afloat without Luka Doncic in the lineup due to the calf strain that he suffered on Christmas Day, and other injuries continue to pile up on the injury report. Quentin Grimes was a late scratch against Charlotte due to back spasms, and despite being listed as questionable before the game, Jason Kidd made it seem like Dereck Lively II's return to the hardwood isn't close.

The injury news about Lively II from Kidd was undoubtedly the worst news of the day considering his importance to the team, but Daniel Gafford showed just how dominant he can be when he's at his best against Charlotte.

Gafford finished with 31 points, 15 rebounds, and seven blocks while shooting 12-15 from the field and an impressive 7-7 from the free throw line, and he proved that Dallas can't afford to move on from him, especially with Lively II sidelined.

Early Gafford trade rumors reveal Mavs' bold trade deadline strategy

Gafford has been in trade rumors over the last few days as Dallas searches for perimeter defense and frontcourt depth, and while it doesn't appear that the Mavericks are shopping Gafford, it does look like they'd be willing to move him if the price is right.

This is a change from Dallas' approach with Gafford from earlier in the season when they were unwilling to move him when teams called about him, and the early rumors about him show that the Mavericks could be gearing up for a surprise trade deadline.

Nico Harrison isn't going to make a trade just to fix their injury problem, as Dallas has proven that they are one of the best teams in the NBA when fully healthy, but it is clear that they could end up being more aggressive than initially expected. Harrison has made major trades at the trade deadline for three years in a row, and we could be in for more of the same considering that the team isn't fully against moving on from Gafford.

Gafford was one of the main reasons that the Mavs were able to turn their season around last season, and while trading him could result in them landing an elite perimeter defender, it would result in them having a major hole at backup center. Dallas' backup center spot was a major weakness for years until the team traded for Gafford, and Harrison must consider the opportunity cost of such a move if he does have his eyes on a certain upgrade on the wing.

It's clear that the Mavericks have interest in Herbert Jones of the New Orleans Pelicans, and if Dallas was able to somehow get their hands on him, they would form one of the best starting fives that we've seen in franchise history. Jones is one of the best defenders in the NBA, and he is the type of player that the Mavs would likely consider trading Gafford for. It would take much more from the Mavs' end to convince New Orleans to trade Jones, especially taking into account their current stance on him as they are not looking to trade him by any means. To make matters worse, he is dealing with a labrum tear in his right shoulder and is out indefinitely.

This doesn't mean that the Mavs can't make a move for him, but it does complicate things that there's a chance he doesn't return for multiple months. It wouldn't make sense for Dallas to make a gamble on Jones if there's a good chance he doesn't return before the playoffs, regardless of how much better he would make them when he is on the floor.

Regardless of whether the Mavericks pursue Jones hard or not, with Gafford's name popping up in preliminary rumors, Harrison could be gearing up for a potentially aggressive trade deadline. It doesn't look like he is going to make a rash decision, but once again, he is always looking for ways to improve the roster, and Dallas has tons of work to do if they want to reach the NBA Finals for the second straight season.