Mavericks' collapsing center rotation is ripping apart their future starting five

Dallas Mavericks center Daniel Gafford exited Monday night's game against the Golden State Warriors with a right shoulder contusion, further exposing an underlying problem Dallas has been dealing with all season. The Mavericks' two-headed monster at center, Dereck Lively II and Gafford, struggle to stay healthy, and this could force them to look elsewhere for a starting five-man this summer.

Mavericks' frontcourt durability problem is getting worse

The Mavericks have to add more frontcourt reliability if they want to contend next season, as Gafford and Lively II's 2025-26 seasons have been plagued by injuries. This doesn't even include Anthony Davis' nonstop injuries this season before he was traded, and Dallas can't keep rolling the dice here.

The best ability is availability, and unfortunately for the Mavericks, Gafford and Lively II have been unreliable in this department.

Dereck Lively II's availability concerns keep growing

Lively II has only played 98 games through his first three seasons in the NBA, and he played in just seven games this year after undergoing season-ending foot surgery.

He has displayed positive progress in his recovery, as he has gone from using a scooter to crutches to a cane, and now he's walking with a boot on. Mavericks fans will take any positive news that they can get with Lively II, but his lower-body injuries are an area of concern for a player whom the organization highly believes in.

He is obviously the best center on the team when he's healthy, but he has played in just under 40 percent of games through his first three seasons in the league. This is nowhere near enough for a player who once projected to be one of Cooper Flagg's running mates.

Daniel Gafford's injuries complicate everything

Gafford has been excellent lately when he's on the court, but he has now injured his right shoulder in back-to-back games. He left Saturday night's game with some sort of shoulder injury, but was ultimately able to return in the third quarter. Gafford couldn't say the same on Monday, as he didn't return after leaving the game in the fourth quarter.

Gafford has battled a nagging ankle injury all year on top of this, and while he has played much better recently, he has struggled most of the season. Spraining his ankle 10 minutes into the first practice of training camp started his season off on a bad note, and he has only played in 51 of the Mavericks' possible 72 games this season.

Dallas should at center upgrades this offseason

He played in 57 games last season after playing in 74 games in the season prior, and to be safe, Dallas should at least consider reshuffling their cards at center this offseason.

The Mavericks can deal with having Lively II out of the lineup occasionally, but it becomes a major issue when both players can't stay on the floor.

This could mean trading Gafford and finding a new big man in free agency, but if this season is a sign of things to come, it's that they need someone who can stay healthy as their starting center. A rotation of Lively II, Gafford, and Marvin Bagley III or Moussa Cisse would be strong if each player could stay healthy, but it doesn't seem like that's a great possibility.

Dallas needs to bring someone in who has proven they can stay healthy, while also being able to be a spot starter if needed. This is the dynamic they have with Gafford and Lively II already, but as mentioned, Jason Kidd can't rely on them to stay on the court.

Finding a new center in the draft or free agency shouldn't be the team's top priority by any means, but if they have the chance to do so, they should be open to making a move if the opportunity presents itself. Neither of the Mavericks' bigs has been able to stay on the court over the last few years, and adding more reliability down low would be helpful moving forward.