NBA insider reveals crushing trade reality the Mavericks can't escape

The NBA trade deadline is less than 50 days away, and it seems like the most likely Dallas Maverick that will be traded is Daniel Gafford. He has seemed like the most likely Maverick to be dealt for some time now, and NBA insider Jake Fischer doubled down on this take during a recent episode of "Insider Notebook with Jake Fischer."

"Daniel Gafford is someone that I think is going to have a lot of interest around the league as well and might even be the most likely Mavericks player to be dealt because of his very manageable 18 million dollar average annual salary," Fischer said. "He's someone who kind of is in the middle of his prime that could be a pretty seamless fit timeline-wise for a lot of teams in the playoff mix."

Fischer believes that Gafford is going to draw interest from around the league this trade season, and even touched on the Indiana Pacers' reported interest in him. Gafford has been in trade rumors dating back to last season, and ever since he signed that extension over the offseason, he has seemed like a probable trade candidate.

Why the Mavericks may be forced to trade Daniel Gafford this season

His three-year, $54 million extension narrowly avoided a six-month trade restriction, and this strategic move piqued Mavericks fans' ears a little bit. The fact that this deal was so team-friendly, combined with the fact that it wouldn't trigger a trade restriction, let fans know that he was at least expendable.

It seems like the Mavericks liked him enough to give him this lucrative deal, but they also wanted the freedom to move on if the double-big strategy wasn't working. Just over five months later, and Nico Harrison's vision of Dallas dominating with size and defense has crumbled in real time.

Dereck Lively II is out for the year, Anthony Davis has missed over half of the team's games and has been in trade rumors, and Gafford looks like he won't be in Dallas beyond the trade deadline. This is not what Harrison envisioned when he traded Luka Doncic for Davis, and with Harrison gone, the Mavericks have the power to make whatever moves they believe will make Cooper Flagg's future more promising.

Flagg should be at the front of the Mavericks' mind when it comes to any trade they make, and despite Gafford being a fan-favorite over the last two years, it sounds like his time in Dallas could be coming to an end.

The Mavericks' exact direction for the trade deadline is unclear, as they could pivot into a rebuild to build around Flagg, but they could also look to be competitive and maximize their odds of making the playoffs. The latter of the two plans would likely force them to keep Gafford though, as he and Davis are the only two starting-level bigs on the Mavs that are healthy for the time being.

Getting rid of Gafford would leave the Mavericks with Davis, Moussa Cisse, and Dwight Powell as their other bigs, and this is not a strong enough group to make a real playoff push. Despite his nagging ankle injury this season, Gafford has been relatively healthy during his time in Dallas, and punting on him would leave them without one of their most reliable frontcourt options.

The next few weeks should give fans a better idea about their plans for Gafford, but according to Fischer, it sounds like he will be wearing a different jersey this time in two months. This is the last thing that Mavs fans expected after they watched him help lead the Mavs to the 2024 NBA Finals as the starting center, and MFFLs may be forced to say goodbye to "The Landlord" in 2026.