Mavericks quietly inch toward inevitable offseason gut punch to fan favorite

The Dallas Mavericks' season has fallen apart, as they've lost 10 of their last 11 games, but one obvious bright spot of this brutal stretch has been the play of Marvin Bagley III. He has only played in five games as a Maverick, but he has clearly outplayed Daniel Gafford. And this could force the seventh-year center out of Dallas this summer.

Moving on from Gafford after his second full season and right after signing a contract extension with the team would be a major gut punch to him, as well as fans. He has become a fan favorite in Dallas due to his energy, alley-oop slams, and team-first attitude, but the Mavericks haven't seen the same version of Gafford this season compared to past years. And this could bode well for Bagley III's potential future with the Mavs.

Dallas acquired Bagley III as part of the Anthony Davis trade that sent him to the Washington Wizards, and he has been a pleasant surprise. He was originally viewed by most fans as just an expiring contract, but he has proven that he can be a long-term center for the Mavericks.

Trading Gafford and re-signing Bagley III makes too much sense to ignore

He is averaging 11.8 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks per game while shooting 53.5 percent from the field and 50 percent from downtown through five games as a Maverick. Bagley III has performed better than anyone could've imagined when it was reported that he would be included in the Davis trade, and he has been far better than Gafford, who started in each of these last five games.

In these games, Gafford averaged 6.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game while shooting 56.5 percent from the field. Gafford is obviously the better overall center at this point, but Dallas needs to look at the bigger picture.

The Mavericks are paying him about $18 million annually to be their backup center, and with how their roster is constructed, this approach doesn't make much sense anymore. Gafford is at his best when paired with a pick-and-roll maestro, like Luka Doncic, but Dallas obviously doesn't have that type of offensive engine on their roster right now. Kyrie Irving's return should help Gafford, but him returning to the player that he was during the 2024 NBA Finals run is far from guaranteed.

He and Dereck Lively II were unstoppable while playing with Doncic, and with Lively II set to make a full recovery following his foot surgery by the start of next season, Gafford will be sent to the bench. They're now on Cooper Flagg's timeline, and Bagley III would be a much more cost-efficient option than Gafford at this point.

Bagley III will be an unrestricted free agent after making just $3 million this season, and with Gafford's three-year, $54 million deal kicking in next season, there's clearly a right choice here. Trading Gafford and re-signing Bagley III makes perfect sense, and they'd be able to save significant money while doing so.

Gafford has now been in trade rumors at back-to-back trade deadlines, and this summer could finally be the time that Dallas decides to move on. They need to surround Flagg with more playmaking, shooting, and backcourt help, and signing Bagley III to a cheaper deal while trading Gafford for some valuable assets will make this goal easier.

Bagley III's touch in the paint, athleticism, energy, and offensive rebounding have all been strong ever since he arrived in Dallas, and his short stint with the Mavericks has shown that they should keep him around for longer than this year. He is also just 26 years old, and Dallas should prioritize getting younger as they build a contender around Flagg.

He would be the perfect backup option behind Lively II moving forward, and assuming Lively II misses some time, he could even start.

Dallas has an extremely important summer ahead following Flagg's rookie year, and long-term financial flexibility must be a priority. This was one of their main focuses when trading Anthony Davis, and it could end up being a major center of attention once again. Trading Gafford while re-signing Bagley III will help them get younger while also creating some future cap relief (assuming they trade for a player on a shorter-scale contract), and Bagley III has the potential to be a staple of Dallas' core.