Dallas Basketball

NBA Analyst Re-Grades Mavericks' Trade for Daniel Gafford

Daniel Gafford's trade to the Dallas Mavericks is looked at favorably in hindsight.

Jeremy Brener

Jan 3, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks center Daniel Gafford (21) drives to the basket as Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley (4) defends during the second halfat American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
Jan 3, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks center Daniel Gafford (21) drives to the basket as Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley (4) defends during the second halfat American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
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The Dallas Mavericks traded for Daniel Gafford from the Washington Wizards just 11 months ago, and they have reaped the benefits of the deal with an NBA Finals run and a strong start this season.

Bleacher Report writer Grant Hughes gave the Mavs a "B" for their work on the trade.

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"We can't go overboard with Dallas' grade, even if Gafford has been a positive presence with the team and, like Washington, played a key role in a Finals run. Dereck Lively II is the Mavericks' long-term answer in the middle, and Gafford's 2024 postseason minutes coincided with a net-rating drop of 14.8 points per 100 possessions," Hughes writes.

"That said, Gafford shot 84.6 percent from the field and suppressed opponent accuracy at the rim by 5.6 percent in the 2024 playoffs, topping Lively in that stat."

Gafford as Lively's backup is a great center rotation that should be able to get the Mavs through these next two seasons, but Dallas also earned some credit for the draft compensation part of the deal as well.

"Bonus points to Dallas for executing a 2028 pick swap with OKC that netted it a 2024 first-rounder, which ultimately got the Gafford deal done with Washington. It's not easy to conjure a first-rounder out of thin air, but that's essentially what the Mavs did," Hughes writes.

It remains to be seen what the Mavs will be able to draw out of that deal in the future, but things are so far so good in Dallas.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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