As the Cavaliers’ blockbuster trade plans vanish, Utah must pivot. Dallas’s roster crunch offers a golden opportunity to snatch elite rim-runner Daniel Gafford for a defensive upgrade.
The Utah Jazz's rumored path to landing Jarrett Allen is officially gone.
That doesn't mean Danny Ainge should abandon the idea of adding another center.
LeBron James agreed to a two-year, $8 million contract with the Philadelphia 76ers, per ESPN's Shams Charania, ending weeks of speculation surrounding where the NBA's all-time leading scorer would spend potentially the final chapter of his career.
It also eliminated the specific scenario that could've sent Allen to Utah.
Before James chose Philadelphia, Barstool Sports' Marty Mush claimed Cleveland had discussed a three-team trade that would've sent James and Anthony Davis to the Cavaliers while rerouting Allen to the Jazz.
The rumor was never substantiated by a more established NBA insider, so there is no evidence that Utah formally pursued Allen or that an agreement was ever close.
Still, the potential outcome made plenty of sense for the Jazz.
Allen would've provided Utah with a proven defensive anchor and efficient interior finisher after Walker Kessler departed for the Los Angeles Lakers. The former All-Star averaged 15.1 points last season and is under contract for three more years at approximately $30 million annually.
James signing with Philadelphia ends whatever possibility existed of that particular framework materializing.
So where should Utah turn if it still wants to pursue another starting-caliber center?
Back to Daniel Gafford.
The Dallas Mavericks remain overloaded in the frontcourt after matching Moussa Cissé's two-year offer sheet from the New York Knicks. Dereck Lively II remains a foundational piece, while Santi Aldama arrived in Dallas through a trade earlier this offseason.
That leaves Gafford as the most obvious candidate to be moved.
NBA insider Marc Stein previously reported that Dallas was "still fielding offers" for the 27-year-old despite signing him to a three-year extension last summer.
Unlike the Allen scenario, Gafford's availability isn't based entirely on an unverified social-media rumor.
The Mavericks have a genuine roster crunch, and moving Gafford would help create a clearer frontcourt hierarchy while potentially returning another asset or addressing a separate positional need.
Utah should take advantage.
The Jazz don't desperately need another center after re-signing Jusuf Nurkić and Mo Bamba while adding Jaxson Hayes. But acquiring Gafford wouldn't be about filling an empty spot on the depth chart.
It would be about buying a valuable player from a team whose roster construction may eventually force it to sell.
Gafford remains one of the NBA's better rim-running centers, capable of protecting the basket, finishing above the rim and contributing without requiring offensive touches. He also started all five games of Dallas' NBA Finals appearance two years ago, giving Utah another proven postseason contributor.
Allen may be the more accomplished individual player, but Gafford could be the more attainable target.
The Cavaliers no longer have a LeBron-related reason to consider moving Allen, especially after James chose Philadelphia. Dallas, meanwhile, still has four centers competing for opportunities and one fewer roster spot than it ultimately needs.
Ainge has spent years capitalizing on leverage created by other franchises.
If the Jazz still want another high-level center after watching the Allen possibility disappear, they shouldn't need to search far for an alternative.
The LeBron trade rumor is dead.
Utah's opportunity to capitalize on Dallas' frontcourt problem isn't.
