Morez Johnson Jr. selection puts Daniel Gafford's Mavericks future on thin ice

After making the shocking move to draft Morez Johnson Jr. with the No. 9 overall pick, Daniel Gafford's future with the Dallas Mavericks could change in the blink of an eye. Gafford plays in the frontcourt, just like Johnson Jr., and it would be an extreme shock if Dallas goes into next season with both players.

Gafford was a major trade candidate before the 2026 NBA Draft began, and they may have just drafted his replacement.

Daniel Gafford and Morez Johnson Jr. are too similar to ignore

Johnson Jr.'s bread and butter is rebounding, doing the dirty work, playing versatile defense, and scoring inside, making his fit next to Gafford redundant. Gafford and Johnson Jr. posted extremely similar measurements during the NBA Draft Combine (Gafford in 2019 and Johnson Jr. this year), and it doesn't seem like Gafford is a long-term fit in Big D anymore.

He has already been in trade rumors several times over the past few seasons in Dallas, including rumors as recently as this offseason, and these murmurs are only poised to intensify with Johnson Jr. in town. The Mavericks badly need to balance their roster after making this pick, with 3-point shooting being even more of a need, and having three non-shooting bigs in Dereck Lively II, Gafford, and Johnson Jr. is not sustainable.

Floor spacing is crucial in today's NBA, even at the center position, and the Mavs have to get some more offensive versatility in the frontcourt after selecting Johnson Jr. He brings the physicality, intangibles, and winning attitude that will make him a dream fit next to Flagg, but he isn't going to be an A+ offensive player on day one. Morez is much more of a play finisher than he is a creator, and Gafford falls into this same category as well.

Gafford's fate seemed sealed before the Johnson Jr. pick

It seemed likely that the Mavs would move on from Gafford even before Johnson Jr. was drafted, and we could even see a move as soon as tonight. Dallas is looking to move up from 30, and the former Arkansas Razorback could be the perfect trade bait to do just that. His three-year, $54 million extension that he signed with Dallas last summer kicks in this next season, and this is an extremely affordable number for a player who started in the NBA Finals just over two years ago.

Teams around the league should want Gafford, especially after seeing how well he played at the end of the season, and the Mavericks should explore resetting their frontcourt by moving on. Johnson Jr. needs the most playing time possible next season, and getting rid of a player who plays the same position as him would be a good start.

Morez has the ability to play power forward, as proven by his fit next to Aday Mara under Dusty May at Michigan, but that jump shot must improve considerably before he makes this jump at the NBA level. The Mavericks now have a logjam in the frontcourt with Johnson Jr. coming to town, and this could come at the cost of Gafford.

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