Mavericks' recurring trade rumor signals beloved center's future is fading

Dallas Mavericks center Daniel Gafford has been no stranger to trade rumors since arriving in Dallas, and once again, the 27-year-old big man is generating some trade buzz ahead of the 2025-26 season. He was in trade rumors as recently as last season, after being floated in trade conversations in his first full season with the team, and his name constantly being thrown around in trade talks could be a sign that his time in Dallas is running out.

Daniel Gafford's days in Dallas look numbered

NBA insider Marc Stein dove into some trade chatter around the NBA over the weekend, and Dallas is open to trading multiple of their veteran players (subscription required) before they kick off the second season of the Flagg era in October. This includes P.J. Washington and Klay Thompson, but Gafford's prior inclusion in multiple seasons of trade rumors gives fans a look into how the new regime feels about the 6-foot-10 center.

"Klay Thompson, P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford, as we speak, are the veterans that the Mavericks are seen as most open to trading," Stein said.

Masai Ujiri and Mike Schmitz took over as the lead decision-makers in Dallas' front office earlier this summer, and Gafford isn't untouchable by any means. He just finished his second full season with the team and averaged 9.5 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game while shooting 65.5 percent from the field.

Gafford finished the 2025-26 season strong, but Mavericks fans always knew that he would likely appear in trade rumors again this summer. The former front office, led by Nico Harrison, signaled that Gafford was expendable the second he signed a three-year extension before last season (since it narrowly avoided a six-month trade restriction). That sentiment hasn't changed with Ujiri and Schmitz at the helm.

These rumors quietly signal that The Landlord's lease could be expiring soon.

Why Gafford is no longer a strong fit on the Mavericks

After trading Anthony Davis and shutting down Kyrie Irving for the season, Dallas indicated that their entire focus was winning in the future. Harrison's aggressive win-now plan from his controversial time as the captain of the ship was immediately burned, and the Mavericks entered a new era that was future-based.

Flagg is their franchise cornerstone now, and while Gafford has provided immense value over his two and a half seasons in Dallas, he is no longer on the same timeline as their new star wing. Add in the fact that Gafford played less than 70 percent of games over the last two seasons due to injuries, and you'll see why the Mavericks aren't against moving on if the right deal presents itself.

Mavericks can still get good value back for Gafford

He is under contract until the end of the 2028-29 season since his three-year, $54 million extension kicks in next season, and Dallas now has the opportunity to get positive value back for him. Gafford showed the rest of the league how productive he can be when he's at his best in March of last season, and teams that need a strong pick-and-roll big should be all over him.

On top of this, he's a great locker room guy as well. Gafford has been beloved by the fan base, as well as his teammates, since the day he arrived in Dallas in February of 2024, and his contributions to the 2024 NBA Finals run made fans love him even more.

He looked like one of the best pick-and-roll finishers in the NBA while playing alongside Luka Doncic, and a similar resurgence could happen again on his next team. Gafford is best utilized when playing with a great playmaker in the backcourt, and while Irving is set to return at the start of next season, Schmitz and Ujiri may believe that trading Gafford for future draft capital, young players, or expiring contracts is a better long-term play.

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