The NBA offseason always comes sooner than you expect. On the same day of Game 7 of the NBA Finals, the Houston Rockets acquired Kevin Durant. That was the first big domino to fall. Now the transactions will come in hot for the next few weeks. The latest news is that the Dallas Mavericks are extending center Daniel Gafford for three years and $54 million, per Shams Charania of ESPN.
Gafford, 26, averaged a career-high 12.3 points per game this past season on 70% shooting. He’s usually a starter but slated for a bench role in the upcoming season. While not the biggest name in the NBA, Gafford’s extension does create some clarity for the Mavericks.
The Mavericks added Anthony Davis in the Luka Doncic trade, giving them one starting big man. Cooper Flagg will arrive with the No. 1 pick, presumably starting alongside Davis. Unless they go jumbo, that projects to be the starting frontcourt. Gafford, Dereck Lively II, and P.J. Washington are possible bench options. The former two are somewhat redundant players.
One of those three may be traded this offseason. Gafford seemed the likeliest, but with a new extension in his pocket, that’s seemingly off the table. But it is worth noting that with the timing of the extension, Gafford can be dealt immediately.
Many teams would desire Washington, but he is a more versatile perimeter player. Lively II and Gafford cannot coexist on the floor together. This makes it more likely to see Flagg and Davis starting with one of Lively II or Gafford.
Currently, the Mavericks are 14th in 2025/26 title odds. That’s ninth out of all Western Conference teams. As the Cooper Flagg era begins, the Mavericks will experiment to figure out what works around their new face of the franchise. Daniel Gafford figures to be a part of that.
