NBA Trade Rumors: The Dallas Mavericks must avoid one rumored move heading into the NBA Trade Deadline.
At the midway point of the 2024-25 NBA season, the Dallas Mavericks have probably admittedly underwhelmed to a certain extent. After making a run to the NBA Finals last season and then adding Klay Thompson during the summer, there was at least some expectation that this team was going to be at least somewhat dominant this year. At the very least, the Mavs would be in a position to be in the conversation with the likes of the Oklahoma City Thunder (who also finished last season as the No. 1 seed in the West standings).
While there have been times this season when it did appear as if things were trending in that direction, that exactly hasn't panned out for the Mavs. At this point in the season, Dallas is ranked outside of the top six in the West standings and while they may be just a few games out of a top-four seed, this is a team that is battling injuries without a clear window of health. The recent reporting surrounding Luka Doncic suggests that he could return to the lineup before the NBA All-Star break and is expected to be reevaluated in the next week or so.
However, as the NBA Trade Deadline quickly approaches, it's almost natural for the front office to explore other ways how to add a potential mid-season boost to the team. Interestingly enough, a whispered move that could be on the table for Dallas is a potential trade of Daniel Gafford. While there may be reason to believe it's something the Mavs should consider, especially with the continued development of Dereck Lively II, I'd suggest it's a rash move the team should want to avoid at all costs.
Trading Daniel Gafford would be a big mistake for the Dallas Mavericks
It should be noted that there has been some recent pushback on the notion that the Mavs would be open to trading Gafford but at this point, it's anyone's guess as to what Dallas may ultimately do. One thing is for sure, though, and it's that moving on from Gafford would be a huge loss for Dallas.
I'm sure more Lively wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing for the Mavs in theory. However, when you consider that the team has so little depth in the frontcourt, it makes it a huge gamble. Maxi Kleber and Dwight Powell haven't been great this season and it should also be noted that Lively has also missed 10 games so far this season due to injury. A higher workload could force him to be even less durable if he's not ready for a full-time starting role.
With the players currently on the trade block, it's difficult to imagine a move worth gutting their depth in the frontcourt for. I'm sure the front office is more informed than the rest of us but I can't help if such a move could end up being a complete miscalculation if they move forward with it.