He is clearly the best center in the draft, and picking a 7-foot-3 player who moves as well as he does would be a major steal despite Dallas’ need for guard depth. There’s a chance he doesn’t even fall to the ninth pick, but when the Mavs are on the clock, they’ll have a choice to make \u2014 and it could cost Daniel Gafford his roster spot.<\/p>\n
Drafting Aday Mara could lead to a Daniel Gafford trade<\/p>\n
The Mavericks would have a real frontcourt dilemma on their hands if they pick Mara, leaving someone like Gafford in no man’s land. Dereck Lively II seems like someone the Mavs value as a piece of their young core, and it wouldn’t be a shock if Gafford’s name appears in trade rumors again this summer \u2014 regardless of whether they draft Mara.<\/p>\n
Dallas’ decision to pick Mara or not will all come down to how Ujiri and Schmitz view the Mavericks’ current frontcourt of Gafford and Lively II. Gafford’s three-year, $54.38 million deal kicks in at the start of the 2026-27 season, and he seems far more tradeable than Lively II.<\/p>\n
Gafford has been in trade rumors <\/a>for the past few seasons, and with Lively II only playing seven games last season, it wouldn’t make sense for the Mavericks to trade him now. He likely doesn’t have much trade value at this point, making Gafford the odd man out in Dallas if they were to draft Mara.<\/p>\n Dallas is starting fresh with Ujiri and Schmitz calling the shots, and if they don’t like Gafford’s long-term fit next to Cooper Flagg and the rest of their young core, they could explore trading him. He has the most trade value of any of their veterans, and they have to gain some future assets if they want to build a contender around Flagg.<\/p>\n There’s no reason for the Mavs to have three starting-caliber centers in Mara, Lively II, and Gafford, and the draft may be one of the best avenues to give them more depth inside. Gafford or Lively II could stay on the court last season, and someone like Mara would give them the stability needed to battle down low<\/a> with the best teams in the NBA.<\/p>\n Mara’s Michigan journey is a preview of what’s to come<\/p>\n The 7-foot-3 big man from Michigan averaged 12.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 2.6 blocks per game while shooting 66.8 percent from the field playing for Dusty May last season. He was a force for the Wolverines in the NCAA Tournament, averaging 14.2 points and 2.3 blocks per game, all while helping lead Michigan to its first National Championship since 1989.<\/p>\n
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