2024 NBA Finals: How Mavs center Daniel Gafford went from trade market to integral starter

BOSTON — Daniel Gafford waded across the parquet floor Wednesday afternoon following Dallas’ practice at TD Garden with a grin stretching across his face and royal blue tights clinging to his tree-trunk legs. The last time Gafford, the Mavericks’ starting center throughout this run to the NBA Finals, walked this court, he played less than six minutes for the Mavs in a March 1 matchup with the Celtics.

Gafford was also previously scheduled to play in Boston on Feb. 9, but the day before served as the annual trade deadline — which uprooted Gafford from Washington and the Wizards’ impending date with the Celtics. “What’s crazy … we were actually headed here to play Boston,” Gafford said.

The 6-foot-10 center out of Arkansas had driven to Washington’s practice facility in southeast D.C. that Thursday afternoon, having heard his name on the trade block since mid-December. The Rockets were trying to upgrade their center position before acquiring Steven Adams from Memphis. New York, for a time, made calls to rival teams, according to league sources, in the early aftermath of Mitchell Robinson needing ankle surgery. Dallas, though, seemed to prioritize Gafford throughout the lead-up to the deadline’s 3 p.m. ET buzzer. “I think this was the only one that was the main target for me,” Gafford said.

Daniel Gafford of the Dallas Mavericks throws it down during the third quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals at Target Center in Minneapolis. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

Yet there was skepticism around NBA front offices that the Wizards would ultimately move Gafford, not to mention other Washington starters like point guard Tyus Jones and scoring wing Kyle Kuzma. The Wizards’ respective asking prices for each of their veterans stood much higher, sources said, than what most rival teams were prepared to offer. Dallas was also involved in dialogue, according to league personnel, about potentially landing Kuzma.

So there Gafford was idling in the Wizards’ parking lot, when he received a call from Washington general manager Will…

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Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2024-06-05 20:09:37

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