The Dallas Mavericks are shifting gears from the NBA Draft to free agency and trade season. Rumors abound pertaining to Daniel Gafford being moved out of Dallas, and this deal with the Hawks may be a reasonable expectation after hearing a first-round pick for him was hard to come by.
Prior Trade Talks
- Sacramento Kings for Malik Monk
- Philadelphia 76ers for former MVP Joel Embiid
- Oklahoma City Thunder for Isaiah Joe
- San Antonio Spurs for Keldon Johnson
- Lakers and Nuggets
Once again joining me for this potential transaction are MMB’s Jack Nowicki and Bryan Porter.
The trade proposal
The Mavericks move Daniel Gafford to the Atlanta Hawks for Cory Kispert and second-round picks in 2027, 2029
and 2032.
The discussion
Mike: So, despite recent rumors that a Draft day deal for Gafford never amounted to anything because the Mavs couldn’t get a first-round pick for him, I’m still deluded enough to believe a first-rounder is gettable. If the Mavs couldn’t get a first-round pick in this draft, that doesn’t mean they can’t get one in a future draft. I think Gafford still warrants at least a single first-rounder. Are your thoughts on this proposal a consequence of being resigned to the idea Gafford will never net a first-rounder?
Bryan: Yeah, I’ve sort of made up my mind that on his own, Gafford can’t bring back a solid first-round pick. I’m okay with that because I don’t rate him as a quality starting caliber big anyway, but it means we should be willing to accept second round compensation since the most recent draft showed us seconds are still the best petty cash currency to grease wheels on deals.
Mike: My hangup here is Dereck Lively. He remains an unknown quantity and if he sits out meaningful time, I dread to think of what the center rotation would be. Granted, much could change before the start of the season, but no Gafford and no Lively currently leaves you with Moussa Cisse – whom I like a lot, but who has about 40 games to his resume – and non-true centers. Completely lacking a position concerns me in and of itself, but also for what strains it would put on the rest of the rotation. I think I’m holding Gafford unless I’m getting a first-rounder. Where do you land on this, Jack?
Jack: My stance on trading Gafford hasn’t changed since the beginning of the offseason. The Mavericks should trade him for any draft capital they can get. Obviously a first-round pick is off the table, but Gafford still needs to get moved. The Mavericks have a glut of centers on roster, including multiple young centers in Moussa Cisse and Dereck Livley. Trading Gafford while he still has positive value makes sense for both sides. Lively’s health does scare me a ton, but since the Mavericks aren’t necessarily trying to compete yet it doesn’t really matter.
Mike: I’m so torn on Gafford’s value. Unless we got a replacement center (ideally in a direct swap), I’m so hesitant to get a handful of second-round picks as the big prize. I’d personally rather have a competent center rather than some odd patchwork. Too reminiscent of our guard rotation last season. One thing seems to be more certain than ever, and that is the scenario being second-rounders or bust. Kispert also doesn’t blow my socks off. It feels like we’re having to take on a burden to get picks for a solid center to me. Do you guys view Kispert as value added? He strikes me as yet another wing that would have less impact than the slew of wings we already have.
Bryan: Well, he shoots and he can attack a close out, so he adds value most of our wings don’t on those fronts alone. He’s neutral at best and on the deal he has probably a slight negative unless he truly has a return to form next to better playmakers than he had in Washington. The big divergence for me is I don’t see Gafford as truly adding value either, especially making even more money at an easier position to get replacement level play for cheap, so that makes a swap for 2nds worth it to me. Between Cisse, Johnson, and an added trade/free agent big you have 48 minutes at center easily enough. That’s before you consider Lively’s eventual in-season return. I wouldn’t compare it to the guard rotation from last year simply because we didn’t have a single player either drafted in the first round or signed for even the full taxpayer mid-level exception (aside from Cooper Flagg) play lead guard at any point. When healthy, the Mavs would have at least two lottery picks spending minutes at big this season without Gafford.
Jack: The second-round picks are also valuable in their own way, which has already been seen this offseason. Multiple teams were able to move up in the draft with seconds (including the Mavericks), as well as acquiring useful veteran talent. The Grizzlies used three second round picks in the Isaiah Stweart trade, and the Atlanta Hawks acquired Aaron Wiggins for two second-round picks. All in all, while this return isn’t sexy, it’s the type of trade that rebuilding teams must do.
Join the conversation in the comments section below!
I invite you to follow me @_80MPH on X, and check back often at Mavs Moneyball for all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks.
