Dallas could eye deadline deals, and a recent trade proposal has them sending Daniel Gafford to Indiana for draft assets and young talent.
The NBA trade deadline is quickly approaching, which means that the trade ideas are going to start flying in the next week and a half.
And the Dallas Mavericks - who made monster waves a year ago at this time by dealing Luka Doncic to the Lakers - are a team that has a chance to be involved in a lot of them.
And hey ... maybe this time they'll make a move that actually benefits the franchise.
In a recent article by Bleacher Report's Eric Pincus, he puts together a trade idea for one of the biggest buyers at the deadline, the Chicago Bulls. And it involves the Mavericks, as well as two other teams.
The full details for the trade can be seen here, but the main thing for the Mavs is that they would give away center Daniel Gafford.
They would trade him to the Indiana Pacers and Dante Exum to the New Orleans Pelicans, and they would get Dalen Terry from Chicago, just over $11 million in trade exception, and a protected first-round pick in 2026 from the Portland Trail Blazers.
"The Mavericks' season has not gone as planned, primarily due to injuries, "Pincus writes. "Gafford, who was extended this offseason, is somewhat superfluous behind a healthy Anthony Davis and Dereck Lively II... Additionally, the Mavericks owe their 2027 first-round pick to the Charlotte Hornets, so tanking for draft considerations isn't an option... The return for Gafford is the first-round pick. The team can look at Terry or let him (or another player) go to make room for productive two-way players Ryan Nembhard and Moussa Cisse."
Gafford is a helper who is averaging just under eight points and six rebounds per game, and he's doing his job of protecting the paint.
But the trade for Anthony Davis (who arrived in the Luka deal) means that the Mavs have a lot big men, and Derek Lively is the one who has the highest upside to replace AD after he leaves - whenever that is.
As a result, Gafford is in this weird position where he might be better off on a new team where he can flourish. He is starting right now, but that is because both Lively and Davis are out for an extended period of time.
So if the Mavs decide that moving forward with the trio of AD, Kyrie Irving, and Cooper Flagg is the path, then trading Gafford could be something for the team to at least consider.