NBA insider drops shocking Mavericks trade rumor that once seemed impossible

While Anthony Davis has certainly drawn the most speculation out of any player that the Dallas Mavericks could be shopping ahead of the trade deadline, NBA insider Tim Cato recently revealed that Daniel Gafford has the most "robust" trade market out of anyone on the Dallas Mavericks as a guest on a recent episode of the "Locked On Mavericks Podcast."

"Daniel Gafford has the most robust market, that's my impression," Cato said.

Cato went on to clarify that he doesn't have the best gauge of what's going to happen at the trade deadline for Dallas, but if his sourcing is reflective of Gafford's actual trade interest, then that is definitely surprising considering the season Gafford has had up to this point. Fans feared that Gafford's trade value was long gone, but that clearly isn't the case.

Gafford has had a very up-and-down season to this point, as he'd been battling a nagging ankle injury from training camp that was keeping him in and out of the lineup until mid-December. However, he's strung together some great performances recently, including a 17-point, 10-rebound, and three-block game versus the Portland Trail Blazers last Monday.

Cato says Daniel Gafford's trade market is real despite early struggles

As of right now, Gafford is playing the best ball on both sides of the court that he has all season, as his explosiveness and athleticism are starting to revert to what fans are accustomed to after he clearly wasn't looking 100 percent throughout most games in the last few months.

Gafford is on a three-year $54 million contract extension starting next season, so given the long-term security with a fair dollar amount a team would be incurring if they traded for his contract, it makes sense why he's starting to draw interest again. However, the Mavericks must be careful about trading Gafford, especially if they are trying to trade Davis as well, as Dereck Lively II is already out for the rest of the season due to lingering complications in his right foot that required surgery.

In all honesty, the Mavericks may need to pick just one of Gafford or Davis to ultimately ship out, as trading both of them could leave them with a glaring void at the backup big man position once next season comes around. If Cato's report about Gafford having the most robust interest from potential trade suitors is correct, though, perhaps Dallas needs to seriously explore shopping him, especially if they can get first-round draft capital back in return for him.

Being roughly a month away from the trade deadline now, it's going to be very interesting to see how these next few weeks unravel for the Mavericks, specifically with Gafford and Davis. Do take into consideration that Gafford having the most robust trade market doesn't mean he has the most trade value, as that title still very likely belongs to Davis.

If the Mavericks get some team to give up a first and a decent young player for Gafford, they may need to pull the trigger on the deal. However, as aforementioned, they must be careful about shipping both him and Davis away, as they should only do that if they get irrefutable packages in return for both of them and/or an intriguing young big man back in the deal as well.