(Mandatory Credit: Sam Hodde/Getty Images)
The Dallas Mavericks fired general manager Nico Harrison this week, less than 10 months after the longtime executive made one of the most inconceivable trades in NBA History.
That isn’t going to immediately fix the product on the court. The Mavericks’ roster, saturated with bigs and deprived of guards, is very unbalanced around Cooper Flagg, who they drafted No. 1 overall last June.
It’s only a matter of time before they trade Anthony Davis, who has suited up for just 14 games since being moved in the Luka Doncic blockbuster. The fire sale shouldn’t stop there.
Thankfully for the Mavericks, one suitor in need of a consolidation trade — with little frontcourt depth — is the Miami Heat. And president Pat Riley should strongly consider aiming to acquire one of the Mavericks’ backup bigs ahead of the deadline.
Why Heat should eventually target Daniel Gafford:
(Mandatory Credit: Sam Hodde/Getty Images)
Miami entered the season with a razor-thin big man rotation of Bam Adebayo and Kel’el Ware. Adebayo has missed the last five games with a toe injury, while Ware has notably struggled. Its defensive rebounding has plummeted in Adebayo’s absence.
We know that the three-time All-Star will be returning soon, but the Heat needs more size in the frontcourt. Gafford helps mitigate those struggles.
Gafford, 27, is averaging 9.5 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.5 blocks across 21.9 minutes per game. He’s athletic and a good vertical spacer and shot blocker. His fit alongside Ware would be more murky than Adebayo, but the 6-foot-10 big could provide a legitimate boost off the bench at doing “big man” things (rebound, screen, catch lobs, block shots, etc.).
The two biggest questions would be 1.) What would the Heat have to give up? And 2.) figuring out how they would navigate his extension.
Gafford is owed $54.4 million (also starting next season) through 2028-29, which is manageable, but not ideal for a center who projects to be a 20-23-minute per game backup, at most, barring injury.
Miami does have cheap contracts at guard (Smith, Jakucionis, Mitchell), which makes it easier to absorb him, though at least one may need to be consolidated to fill Dallas’ pressing need unless a third team gets involved. The Mavericks are also a second-apron team, meaning they can’t aggregate or absorb more than Gafford’s $14.4 million.
Nevertheless, there are obstacles. But Dallas is likely seeking opportunities to clear its books in the short- and long-term as it begins this teardown. And Gafford should be a name they kick the tires on.
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