Mavericks just caught a golden trade opportunity to fleece a desperate rival

The Houston Rockets announced that Steven Adams underwent season-ending surgery on his left ankle, and the Dallas Mavericks should call them immediately about trading them Daniel Gafford. He is one of the hottest trade commodities in Dallas, with Anthony Davis being unlikely to get traded, and Houston may end up being the perfect home for him that the Mavs need if they're set on moving on.

Dallas will soon enter the Cooper Flagg era, and they need as many assets as they can get to build around the 19-year-old future star. While Gafford has had plenty of great moments in Dallas, including being their starting center during their 2024 NBA Finals run, the writing has been on the wall for months that he could be on the move.

He has been viewed as expendable ever since he signed that three-year contract extension over the summer that narrowly avoided a six-month trade restriction, and he seems like the most likely Maverick that could be traded before the trade deadline. Teams need big man help, including the Houston Rockets, and they could be among the aggressive Gafford suitors as the February 5 trade deadline rapidly approaches.

Mavericks should pounce on Rockets' collapsing frontcourt

The Rockets are desperate for center depth behind Alperen Sengun with Adams out for the season, and bringing in Gafford makes too much sense for them to ignore. Adams had been excellent this season, averaging 5.8 points and 8.6 rebounds per game while shooting 50.4 percent from the field, and they have to find a way to replicate his production for the rest of the season if they want to stay afloat.

They are already likely without Fred VanVleet for the rest of the season after he underwent ACL surgery over the offseason, and they can't afford for their frontcourt to sink to critical levels as their backcourt has. Houston is still one of the better teams in the Western Conference, sitting at 28-17 on the year, but they definitely need some more pieces if they want to make an NBA Finals push in Kevin Durant's first season with the team.

Enter Daniel Gafford.

The Mavericks have already been shopping him for some time now, and with the Rockets being so thin at center, Dallas should take advantage of them. With the way the season is going, the Mavericks won't be playing for a playoff spot anyway, and they might as well trade Gafford while they have the chance.

He has a strong trade market with plenty of suitors, and the Rockets could join the mix if they have interest in him and don't fully trust Clint Capela to hold down the fort with Adams out for the year. The Rockets have what the Mavs need, that being draft capital, and Dallas should strike while the iron is hot.

Teams get desperate when dealing with injuries, especially if they're contenders, and this could lead to the Rockets overpaying for Gafford if his market is large enough.

Houston has plenty of second-round picks and some first-round picks that they could offer in a potential trade for Gafford, and Mavs fans should keep an eye on the Rockets over the next week. The Mavericks could elect to hold onto Gafford and shock everyone, but a trade seems likely, and the Rockets may just be an ideal fit for both sides.