Why The Toronto Raptors Should Further Pursue Daniel Gafford

After the Toronto Raptors were bounced from the first round of the NBA Playoffs this past season in a seven-game thriller against the Cleveland Cavaliers, one weakness stood out more than others as the Raptors reflected on their year.

Toronto pushed the Cavaliers to the brink, falling just short but also exposing an important facet. The Raptors clearly lacked a weakness in size in the interior, especially going up against a dominant big-man tandem of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.

Though the Raptors inked center Jakob Poeltl to an extension not too long ago, his recent performance has not lived up to what the Raptors had hoped for from their starting big. Against the Cavaliers in that series, his struggles were on display in a series that he averaged just seven points and six rebounds in.

Since the middle of last season, changes for the Raptors have been a prominent conversational topic, in regards to how they can improve as a unit. One of the big areas they could definitely cover is not only more depth at the center position, but potential high upside as well.

A player the Raptors should not shy from targeting is Dallas Mavericks center Daniel Gafford.

Adding Gafford to Toronto’s mix would immediately bring them more stability defensively, as well as an explosive threat in the paint on the offensive end. His presence would bring the Raptors a lot closer to fulfilling their needs at the big position.

Gafford has not been a consistent starter in his career, but has cemented himself as one of the dominant second options in the league. His explosiveness could also make him easy to plug into the starting fold, but should the Raptors make a move for him, Poeltl would likely retain the starting job.

Toronto has been linked to Gafford before. According to Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports, the Raptors had checked up on the center in December. He also noted at the time that the Raptors were not looking to replace Poeltl, but to bring in size to accommodate their depth.

The 27-year-old’s athletic game, one that consists of electric dunks and elite shot-blocking ability, would fit right into the mix of Toronto’s current needs and desires. Outside of Poeltl, the Raptors’ only true centers on the roster is Trey Jemison III and Nate Bittle.

While he plays on a Mavericks team that struggled to contend last year, the possibility he is moved one day is a decent one.