3 Mavericks on hottest trade candidate seats entering 2026-27 NBA training camp

At the end of the day, it makes more sense for the Mavericks to keep Irving around. They should at least be able to threaten for a spot in the play-in tournament. But their front office has to keep an open mind in this situation; if the right offer comes, they may want to pull the trigger.

Daniel Gafford

Gafford was a fixture in trade rumors last year as the Mavericks pondered whether or not to trade away the 27-year-old center. In the end, Dallas kept Gafford, who was three more seasons left on his contract for around $60 million.

It’s not quite clear which team would want to trade for Gafford. But Mavs fans have to expect that his name will be bandied around in rumors once more. After all, the Mavs still have Dereck Lively II, they drafted Morez Johnson Jr., a favorite for new head coach Dusty May back during their time together in Michigan, and they traded for Santi Aldama.

The center spot looks very crowded out there in Dallas. Gafford is still a quality lob threat and shot blocker, and he’s a good player to have for any team that’s heavily reliant on pick-and-rolls. The hold-up may be his contract that runs for three more years, but that should not be a huge problem for any team looking to upgrade its center situation.

Last season, Gafford averaged 9.5 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks in 55 games played.

Caleb Martin