Daniel Gafford Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Mavs Notes: Frontcourt, Washington, Flagg, Free Agency, Sweeney, Lottery Luck

June 26th, 2025 at 6:27pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Mavericks frontcourt might seem a little crowded with Dereck Lively, Anthony Davis, P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford — who just agreed to an extension — joined by top pick Cooper Flagg.

However, general manager Nico Harrison indicated he’s planning to have all of them sharing minutes, rather than moving one of the veterans. He also envisions Washington, the incumbent starting small forward, playing together with Flagg at times. Harrison even brought up the subject with Washington.

“I said, ‘Hey, P.J., you think you guys can play together?’ ” Harrison recalled, per Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News. “He’s like, ‘Oh yeah, we can play together.’ So I don’t see any jealousy. I think guys are excited to play with him and as he’s ready, he’s gonna get more and more opportunities.”

By winning the draft lottery, Harrison believes the team will be contenders for years to come.

“I think it’s win now. It’s also win in the future,” Harrison said. “Eventually it’s going to be Cooper’s team. We don’t know when that transition will happen. So I think it’s win now and then set yourself up to win in the future as well.”

Here’s more on the Mavs:

Harrison envisions Flagg as making an impact in a variety of ways, Grant Afseth of the Dallas Hoops Journal relays. “He’s a basketball player. He can handle the ball, he can shoot, he can make plays for people. He’s a good passer,” Harrison said. “He’s going to be on the floor. The big thing is: who can he defend? And he’s a great defender.”
Harrison said the Mavs will look in free agency to fill the temporary void left by Kyrie Irving‘s ACL injury but it won’t necessarily be a traditional point guard. “I’m not really worried about someone to run the offense. I think we’ve got enough guys that can handle the ball and play multiple positions — just someone to get us organized,” Harrison said, per Afseth, adding, “A lot of players want to come play in Dallas.”
Harrison became extremely unpopular with fans after trading Luka Doncic but the franchise’s lottery luck seems to have to toned down the vitriol, he notes. “I’ve seen the fans react since we got the No. 1 pick. It feels like they’re feeling really good and optimistic about the future,” he said, according to Afseth. “I’m hoping so. I’m assuming so — a little bit maybe.”
Harrison emphasized during his press conference that Jason Kidd was staying put as head coach, dousing speculation that Kidd could wind up with the Knicks. Sean Sweeney‘s agent, Andy Miller, told Townsend (Twitter link) that Dallas did want to keep Sweeney but that the Spurs offered the highly regarded assistant a “bigger role.” “Sean’s contract was expiring,” Miller said. “Dallas made a yeoman’s effort to obviously retain him. They wanted to keep him. I think for Sean this is an opportunity to have a bigger role, a bigger say, more input, with an upward trajectory…”
A team source told ESPN’s Baxter Holmes that the organization was stunned when it drew the top combination in the lottery last month. “We never even considered that the impossible could happen on May 12,” the source said. “I’m not sure there has ever been a more abrupt reversal of fortune.”

Stein’s Latest: Gafford, Irving, VanVleet, Collins, Thybulle

June 24th, 2025 at 9:02am CST by Arthur Hill

The terms of Daniel Gafford‘s three-year extension will keep him trade-eligible without a six-month waiting period, but that doesn’t mean the Mavericks are looking to deal the 26-year-old center, Marc Stein of The Stein Line writes in his latest column (Substack link). Stein confirms that Gafford’s new contract, which will start with the 2026/27 season and is projected to be worth about $54MM, contains no options for him or the team.

Stein states that Dallas’ front office expects “considerable” trade interest in Gafford, but is reluctant to part with him after injuries limited Dereck Lively to 36 games during his second NBA season. Stein notes that forward P.J. Washington is also eligible for an extension this summer and says the Mavericks plan to hold onto him as well.

This is an important day for the organization, Stein adds, as it’s the deadline for Kyrie Irving to pick up a $43MM player option. If Irving passes on the option, Stein views that as a sign that he has an agreement with the Mavericks on a new long-term deal that will likely be announced early in free agency. It’s also possible that Irving could pick up the option and negotiate an extension after the moratorium is lifted or he could decide to test free agency next summer. A source tells Stein that Irving remained undecided as of Monday night.

Stein shares more inside information from around the league:

The Rockets may decline their $44.9MM option on Fred VanVleet, but Stein states there’s “no scenario” where he won’t be with the team next season. A source tells Stein that Houston and VanVleet would “do a new deal” if the option is turned down by Sunday’s deadline. Stein points out that the original deadline on the team option was five days after the Rockets’ season ended, but VanVleet and the team reached an agreement to push it back to late June. Stein also notes that Kevin Durant will be eligible for a two-year extension once he officially joins the team next month, suggesting it’s possible that VanVleet and Durant will both be signed to new deals that cover the next three seasons.
Stein reports that Jazz center Walker Kessler has been “unavailable for some time” and speculates that could have led to recent rumors that the Lakers are interested in John Collins. Stein calls it a “mischaracterization” to suggest that L.A. is a trade suitor for Collins.
The Trail Blazers expect swingman Matisse Thybulle to pick up his $11.5MM player option by today’s deadline, Stein adds.

Mavericks, Daniel Gafford Agree To Three-Year Extension

June 23rd, 2025 at 6:49pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Mavericks center Daniel Gafford intends to sign a three-year contract extension, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports. The contract is worth approximately $54MM, Marc Stein tweets.

The extension, which will become official in July, does not include an option in the final year, Grant Afseth of the Dallas Hoops Journal tweets. It’s fully guaranteed and will feature a 5% trade kicker, adds Kelly Iko of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Gafford has one year and $14,386,320 remaining on the three-year contract he signed while a member of the Wizards. His new extension will run through the 2028/29 season.

Gafford appeared in 57 games this season, including 31 starts. He averaged a career-best 12.3 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per contest. Gafford is a bit undersized at center, listed at 6’10”, but has consistently been one of the NBA’s top shot-blockers since he entered the league in 2019.

Most of the shots that Gafford takes on offense are off lob passes or offensive rebounds. He has a career 70.9% field goal percentage.

The reasonably priced extension could make Gafford a trade chip if Dallas feels the need to trade a big man to balance its roster. As cap expert Yossi Gozlan tweets, Gafford should remain trade-eligible after signing the extension, since his new contract won’t exceed the extend-and-trade limits (20% first-year raise; 5% subsequent raises; four total years, including the current contract). If he were to receive more than $54.3MM on the three-year deal, he would be ineligible to be dealt for six months.

If Gafford remains with the Mavericks, he should be one of the team’s top frontcourt reserves off the bench along with P.J. Washington, presuming that Dereck Lively, Anthony Davis and top pick Cooper Flagg will start.

Western Notes: Gafford, Lakers, Kings, Jazz

June 9th, 2025 at 8:32pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Mavericks big man Daniel Gafford would be a good trade target for the Lakers but they’d probably have to overpay to get him, Jovan Buha of The Athletic stated on his Buha’s Block podcast (YouTube link; hat tip to BasketNews.com).

Buha speculated that it would require a package of Gabe Vincent, Dalton Knecht and a first-round pick to get Dallas’ attention. Gafford will make $14.4MM in the final year of his contract next season, making him a prime trade candidate on a team with frontcourt depth.

We have more from the Western Conference:

Camryn Carter (LSU), Tyrese Proctor (Duke). TJ Bamba (Oregon), Jahmai Mashack (Tennessee), Alex Toohey (Sydney) and Mohamed Diawara (Cholet) worked out for the Kings on Monday, James Ham of The Kings Beat tweets. Toohey, a forward, is rated No. 36 overall by ESPN and Proctor is No. 43 on their Best Available list.
The Jazz are promoting Marquis Newman to director of pro scouting and Katie Benzan to general manager of the NBA G League’s Salt Lake City Stars, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets. Newman has spent 11 years with the Jazz. Benzan, who was hired by Utah in 2022, will become the second current female GM in the G League.
There’s hope for the Jazz if they take their cue from the Pacers and Thunder, Gordon Monson of the Salt Lake Tribune opines. They should study how these teams were built and developed and their style of play, Monson writes, to establish a blueprint for another small-market franchise like the Jazz.

Lakers Notes: Okongwu, Center Targets, Finney-Smith

May 23rd, 2025 at 1:58pm CST by Luke Adams

Asked during an appearance on the Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre podcast whether he has heard any buzz linking the Lakers to Onyeka Okongwu, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin said Los Angeles inquired with the Hawks about the big man earlier this year. McMenamin believes Okongwu was one of the centers Lakers president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka asked Luka Doncic about before the team reached an agreement to acquire Mark Williams.

“I do know that the Lakers made a call to the Hawks around the trade deadline about Okongwu,” McMenamin said (52:38 mark; hat tip to Ron Gutterman of Lakers Nation). “I think lob threat, athleticism, absolutely. In terms of being a perfect fit, maybe not. They might not get a perfect fit though. Clint Capela of ’17/18 probably was a perfect fit, but we’re in ’25/26 now. So that is kind of the spot they’re gonna be in.”

After voiding their deal with Charlotte for Williams in February due to concerns about his physical, the Lakers figure to make it a priority this summer to add a center in free agency or via trade. While there has been speculation about more ambitious trade targets like Nets big man Nic Claxton, McMenamin wonders if it would be in L.A.’s best interest to take a more conservative approach this offseason.

“I am of the opinion to not go all-in on someone like a Claxton, etc. making $20-30 million (per year),” he told McIntyre. “… They’re going to have the taxpayer mid-level available to them, so I’d try to go and get a guy at that level and if he doesn’t prove to be the best fit, make sure you’re holding on to one of your picks and then you can try to pursue something come February.”

Here’s more on the Lakers:

Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report takes a closer look at how the Lakers might address their hole in the middle this season. Pincus suggests that Daniel Gafford would be an ideal trade target, though he wonders if the Mavericks would be reluctant to make another deal with L.A. so soon after the Doncic blockbuster. Pincus also mentions the Raptors‘ Jakob Poeltl and the Magic‘s Goga Bitadze as possibilities, but acknowledges that Toronto will likely be reluctant to part with Poeltl and that Bitadze is more of a backup than a starter.
Dorian Finney-Smith‘s contract situation is up in the air heading into the summer, since it’s unclear whether he plans to pick up the $15.4MM player option on his current contract or opt out in search of a new deal. However, as Khobi Price of The Orange County Register writes in a subscriber-only story, it sounds like the veteran forward wants to stick with the Lakers — during his exit interview, he referred to his half-season with the team as “amazing.”
Assuming Finney-Smith remains with the Lakers, McMenamin expects him to be a valuable part of next season’s roster, as he said on his aforementioned podcast appearance with McIntyre. “I think Dorian Finney-Smith will be a major contributor on this year’s Lakers team,” McMenamin said. “He did not come in healthy and it took him some time to get some rhythm. With him having the comfort factor, the health factor on his side, I think he’ll be right there with being considered the (Lakers’) third-best player along with Austin Reaves.”

Lakers Notes: Reaves, Offseason, Centers, Streit, Draft

May 17th, 2025 at 12:19pm CST by Rory Maher

There has been speculation that the Lakers might look to trade Austin Reaves this summer to address the team’s needs on the wing and/or frontcourt. He struggled in the Lakers’ first-round loss to Minnesota after a strong regular season and is on a below-market-value contract, which could make it tricky to extend him prior to 2026 free agency — he’s considered likely to decline his $14.9MM player option for 2026/27, per Khobi Price of The Southern California News Group.

However, president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka made it clear that the Lakers highly value the shooting guard when he referred to Reaves as one of the team’s three pillars, alongside Luka Doncic and LeBron James, Price writes.

“When your foundation for those three players is that they’re players of high character and a highly competitive nature, that’s the perfect starting point, to have three players like that,” Pelinka responded when asked about the benefit of having training camp ahead of the 2025/26 season.

“LeBron (is) a selfless player, high character. All he cares about is winning. Luka Doncic, the same. Austin Reaves, the same. When you get those three pillars in a training camp environment and you’re starting to build an ethos around them, that’s a great starting point.”

Here’s more on the Lakers:

In a subscriber-only column for The Los Angeles Times, Bill Plaschke explains why he believes it’s in the team’s best interest to trade Reaves for a center, despite the impressive strides he’s made over the years. Plaschke is a big fan of Reaves’ game, toughness and story, but says his skill set isn’t an ideal complement for Doncic and argues he’s the team’s best remaining trade chip outside of Doncic and James, who aren’t going anywhere. If they want to make a major upgrade in the middle, moving Reaves is the Lakers’ best option to do so, Plaschke contends.
The Lakers were at the center of attention last spring and summer amid a coaching change, but there hasn’t been much buzz about them this offseason, writes Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times (subscriber link). According to Woike, the Lakers have shown “no interest” in trading Reaves unless they receive a “top-tier” big man in return, and there aren’t any centers like that on the market right now. Nic Claxton of the Nets and Daniel Gafford of the Mavericks have been linked to the Lakers, Woike notes, but neither is an elite center or a lock to be heading to L.A., for various reasons.
The Lakers parted ways with strength coach Ed Streit last week, people with knowledge of the situation tell Woike. Streit, whom Woike describes as a “well-liked” member of the franchise, was initially hired as an assistant strength coach in 2019 before being promoted in 2021.
Los Angeles controls the 55th pick in next month’s draft. LZ Granderson of The Los Angeles Times would like to see the Lakers draft a mature, experienced center prospect with their lone selection.

Scotto’s Latest: Gafford, Huerter, Jazz, Boozer, Giddey, More

May 14th, 2025 at 3:28pm CST by Luke Adams

Looking ahead to the 2025 offseason trade market, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype identifies Daniel Gafford as a possible trade candidate to watch if the Mavericks and the veteran big man are unable to come to terms on a contract extension.

While Gafford has been a key rotation player over the last season-and-a-half in Dallas, he doesn’t project to be a starter as long as Anthony Davis and Dereck Lively are healthy, and his expiring $14.4MM contract could be a useful salary-matching piece as the Mavericks shop for backcourt help this summer.

Scotto also notes that Bulls wing Kevin Huerter drew some interest from the Jazz after being acquired by Chicago at this year’s trade deadline. The Kings were known to have explored the possibility of a John Collins trade before making their De’Aaron Fox deal, so Huerter likely came up in those talks with Utah. However, Scotto’s wording suggests the Jazz still had interest in Huerter after Sacramento agreed to send him to the Bulls.

It’s unclear if the Jazz will circle back to Huerter this summer or if their interest was solely about acquiring another asset that would’ve been attached to the veteran’s unwanted contract.

Here are several more highlights from Scotto’s latest rumor round-up:

Carlos Boozer, who earned two All-Star berths with the Jazz during his playing career, has been around the team at the draft combine in Chicago this week and is expected to be hired by Utah as a scout, league sources tell HoopsHype.
According to Scotto, there’s still a belief around the NBA that Bulls restricted free agent Josh Giddey will be seeking a five-year, $150MM contract this summer, similar to the one Jalen Suggs signed with Orlando last fall. That was Giddey’s reported asking price last October as well.
While David Griffin wanted to hang onto Kelly Olynyk and re-sign Bruce Brown, it’s unclear how new Pelicans head of basketball operations Joe Dumars feels about that veteran duo, Scotto writes. There’s a similar situation at work in Atlanta, where there was an expectation prior to Landry Fields‘ dismissal that the Hawks would try to re-sign Larry Nance Jr. and Caris LeVert while letting go of Clint Capela. It’s not yet known if that will still be the plan for the new-look front office, Scotto notes.
Sixers assistant Coby Karl isn’t expected to return to Nick Nurse‘s coaching staff next season, Scotto reports.

Mavericks Notes: Williams, Davis, Gafford, New Arena, Silver

April 18th, 2025 at 2:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Mavericks guard Brandon Williams suffered a left oblique strain on Sunday, but he wasn’t going to let that stand in the way of his first postseason opportunity, writes Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal (subscription required). After sending a text to head coach Jason Kidd promising that he was fine to play, Williams delivered 17 points and five assists in 18 minutes off the bench Wednesday as Dallas extended its season with a win at Sacramento.

“Ultimately, I was ready,” Williams said. “The medical staff, training staff and everybody that played a good part. And then my teammates lifted me up, hooking me up. So, it was just up to me to come out here and just play my all.”

Williams, who spent most of the season on a two-way contract, helped Dallas survive a manpower shortage caused by injuries and hard-cap spending restrictions. He averaged 8.3 points, 1.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists during the regular season and was rewarded with a two-year standard contract on April 10. He has some security for the first time in his NBA career and looks ready to be a valuable contributor if Dallas can reach the playoffs by winning at Memphis tonight.

“Oh, my goodness! B-Will? I can’t say enough good things about him,” Klay Thompson said. “To go from being a two-way player to making an impact in the play-in — it’s a testament to his hard work and his character. He’s got a really bright future in this league.”

There’s more on the Mavericks:

Players are expecting a tough matchup with the Grizzlies, whether or not Memphis has Ja Morant, who suffered an ankle injury on Tuesday, per Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. The Mavs lost to the Grizzlies by 35 points in the regular season finale as both teams rested their best players. “I’ve been in a playoff series with them before,” Anthony Davis said. “Not sure about the update on Ja, but they still play well without Ja as well. Nothing changes. (Desmond) Bane got in a good rhythm (Tuesday). Big (Zach) Edey. He’s a big body. Jaren Jackson. All-Star. Defensive Player of the Year candidate, so it’s going to be a battle. We gotta come in locked in and prepared.”
It has been a tumultuous season in Dallas coming off last year’s run to the NBA Finals, but Daniel Gafford sidestepped a question on whether it would be considered a failure if the Mavericks don’t win at Memphis, Curtis tweets. “We’re gonna save that question for whenever it ends,” Gafford said, “because we don’t plan on losing tonight.”
The Mavericks appear to be nearing the end of their long-time relationship with the NHL’s Dallas Stars as tenants of American Airlines Center and Reunion Arena, according to Lia Assimakopolous of The Dallas Morning News. At a press conference with week with selected media members, CEO Rick Welts talked about moving into a new arena when the current lease expires in 2031. “At least for this point, we think the best option for the Mavericks right now and for the experience of going to Mavericks games would be to build a basketball-first facility,” Welts said.
Appearing Wednesday on the Pat McAfee Show (Twitter video link), commissioner Adam Silver tried to quash a persistent rumor that the Mavericks’ owners are conspiring to move the team to Las Vegas.

Mavericks Notes: Davis, Dinwiddie, Hardy, Gafford

April 6th, 2025 at 9:02am CST by Arthur Hill

The spotlight will be on Luka Doncic‘s return to Dallas when the Lakers meet the Mavericks on Wednesday, but Anthony Davis will also be facing his former teammates. The All-Star big man, who spent five and a half years in L.A. and helped deliver the 2020 NBA title, downplayed the upcoming event after Saturday’s loss to the Clippers.

“No emotions,” Davis responded when asked how he feels about taking on the Lakers (Twitter video link from Melissa Rohlin of Fox Sports).

General manager Nico Harrison’s desire to rebuild his team around Davis was among the motivations for the shocking trade that sent Doncic to L.A. two months ago. Harrison envisioned a tall, talented team that could overpower opponents, but injuries to Davis, Kyrie Irving and others, along with a lack of manpower due to hard cap restrictions, have prevented that from happening.

Instead, Dallas is trying to hang onto a play-in tournament spot with one week left in the regular season. Back-to-back lopsided losses to the Clippers this weekend left the Mavs at 38-41, percentage points better than Sacramento and two games ahead of Phoenix. Aside from Doncic’s homecoming, Wednesday’s game will be important for the Lakers as they try to hold onto the third seed in a crowded Western Conference playoff race.

“It should be electric,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said, per Christian Clark of The Athletic (Twitter link). “I think the fans will be excited to see Luka. We will be excited to figure out how to protect home court.”

There’s more on the Mavericks:

Spencer Dinwiddie has surprisingly become the team’s leader in minutes played this season, notes Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. The veteran guard, who was the last player the team signed to a standard contract before the campaign began, has appeared in 77 games and logged 2,071 minutes. “It’s adjustment on the fly,” Dinwiddie said. “My task changes game to game, and sometimes, within the game.”
Dinwiddie was the only point guard available on Saturday after as Jaden Hardy was ruled out shortly before tip-off with a right ankle sprain, Curtis adds in a separate story. When Dinwiddie rested, Dallas ran its offense through Davis, Naji Marshall and Caleb Martin, which resulted in 16 turnovers that led to 19 Clippers points. There’s no word on how long Hardy might be sidelined.
Daniel Gafford who returned this week from a knee sprain, told Mark Medina of Sportskeeda that the addition of Davis gives the Mavericks a “top-tier defense and top-tier offense.” “With how much gravity he absorbs, he can stretch the floor out,” Gafford said. “So I just have to make plays on the back end. That’s all I got to do, pretty much pick up where he leaves off.”

Mavs’ Gafford Back In Action, Lively Close To Returning

April 1st, 2025 at 12:25pm CST by Luke Adams

Mavericks big man Daniel Gafford returned to action on Monday night against Brooklyn after missing 21 straight games due to a sprained knee and showed no signs of rust in his first game since February 10. In just under 19 minutes on the floor, Gafford racked up 17 points, seven rebounds, and a pair of assists.

It wasn’t all good news for Dallas, as the team dropped a very winnable game against a lottery-bound Nets team. Gafford also wasn’t entirely thrilled with his performance, though he said it felt good to be back in action, adding that he thought he improved over the course of the night.

“It was real important to me (to get back in the lineup). I’ve got a big heart for the game,” Gafford said, per Greg Riddle of The Dallas Morning News. “There were times when I was down, and the people around me kept me motivated. It was a bunch of mess-ups from me early on, but throughout the course of the game, it just started to feel kind of natural again.”

As dispiriting as the Mavericks’ loss was, it didn’t hurt them much in the play-in race, since Sacramento also lost on Monday. The Suns gained a half-game as a result of having the night off, but they have the NBA’s most difficult remaining schedule and will be without their top scorer for at least the next three games.

The 37-39 Mavs currently hold the No. 9 seed in the Western Conference, with a half-game lead on the No. 10 Kings and a 1.5-game cushion on No. 11 Phoenix. And after getting Gafford back on Monday, they should have another key contributor available soon — big man Dereck Lively, sidelined since January 14 with a stress fracture in his ankle, was listed as questionable vs. Brooklyn before being ruled out. Head coach Jason Kidd said the second-year center is “trending” toward returning this week, according to Riddle.

Assuming they have Anthony Davis, Gafford, and Lively available during the home stretch of the regular season, the Mavericks figure to lean pretty heavily on lineups featuring multiple big men. As Christian Clark of The Athletic writes, Davis said after Monday’s loss that it was the first time he has been part of a two-big lineup for an entire game and that he still needs to get used to it. However, he and Gafford are both excited about the possibilities.

“It’s an advantage we have, having two bigs,” Davis said, according to Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com. “They’re going to switch or blitz and with his ability to jump and put pressure on the rim, it’s going to be open.”

“The thing that excites me is when it comes to certain parts of the game defensively, we are going to go through the roof,” Gafford added, per Clark. “Offensively, I need to be in the right spot at the right time. It makes my job easier. I just have to get better at guarding guys on the perimeter.”