As frontcourt depth swells and Dereck Lively II nears a lucrative extension, Dallas may finally sacrifice Daniel Gafford to balance the roster and solidify their future.
Considering where the Dallas Mavericks sat in the NBA hierarchy around January, this summer's offseason has likely been a joy for the fanbase.
Just think about how far we've come. Six months ago, everyone still had a bad taste in their mouths from the Luka Dončić trade (that probably hasn't changed), Anthony Davis was out with ligament damage in his hand and Jason Kidd's future looked murky.
Since then, Cooper Flagg has won Rookie of the Year, Davis was shipped to the Washington Wizards, and Dallas tabbed Dusty May ... fresh off an NCAA Championship victory ... to lead the Mavericks' sidelines.
Those are the big moves, and admittedly, they do overshadow the little ones.
But there have been two recent examples of "little ones" that likely suggest a big trade could be coming.
First, Dallas opted to match the two-year, $4.7 million offer sheet Moussa Cissé signed with the New York Knicks. Cissé is somewhat of a fan favorite and does possess great potential as a frontcourt depth piece ... but the Mavericks had plenty of depth there before matching the Knicks' offer.
Daniel Gafford is still entrenched as Dallas' backup big man, and Santi Aldama came over from the Memphis Grizzlies via trade earlier this month, who plays somewhat of a hybrid center-forward role.
And the latest development from the frontcourt comes by way of Dereck Lively II.
The talented-but-injury-prone Duke product is eligible for a new deal and has held "early-stage talks" with Masai Ujiri and the Mavericks' brass, per Marc Stein.
So ... for those of you counting ... that means Cissé is in May's future plans, Aldama has to be since Dallas just acquired him and Lively is viewed as an anchor the franchise wants to be financially tied to.
The problem?
The Mavericks just extended Gafford for $60 million over three years last summer.
If you compound the reports of Ujiri fielding offers for Gafford with the multi-year commitments Dallas has made to Cissé, Aldama and now potentially Lively, you can come to a pretty logical conclusion of where this thing is headed.
Based on all the available data we have, the Mavericks should be expected to continue entertaining trade calls on Gafford while working towards that Lively extension.
What Dallas' return package ends up looking like should they move Gafford is anyone's guess, but it's important to remember: Ujiri isn't known for engaging the same lopsided swaps that ... other ... past Mavericks executives have.
And if the recent breadcrumbs mean what they appear to, that move could be coming sooner rather than later.
