The dismissal of Nico Harrison as general manager of the Dallas Mavericks came as no real surprise on Tuesday, but it certainly does open some intrigue on what the franchise chooses to do next and how rival teams like the Golden State Warriors could take advantage on the trade market.
The Warriors don't have the financial means to necessarily go out and acquire injury-prone star Anthony Davis whose future is now in question, but an alternative big man in Daniel Gafford may be a more realistic target for Mike Dunleavy Jr. and the front office.
Warriors could be one of many teams looking at trading for Daniel Gafford
Harrison had claimed he was after short-term success when he made the astonishing decision to trade Luka Doncic nine months ago, and that remained the case even with the equally stunning acquisition of the No. 1 overall pick and young star Cooper Flagg.
The start to this season has not only reiterated that Harrison was completely wrong for pulling the Doncic trade, but that the Mavericks are a long way from the sort of championship contention they crave.
Harrison's firing means Dallas may now be more open to prioritizing the Flagg timeline, making them potential sellers before the mid-season deadline amid an awful 3-8 start to the season. Even before the Mavericks parted ways with their now infamous former general manager, there was rising speculation of Gafford's availability according to NBA insider Marc Stein on Sunday.
"The Mavericks knew they would field trade interest in veteran center Daniel Gafford from the moment they signed him to a three-year, $54.4 million contract extension in late June that was the maximum that the Mavericks could pay the 27-year-old and keep him trade-eligible during the season through the Feb. 5 trade deadline," Stein wrote.
A healthy Gafford could certainly add a rebounding and rim protecting presence that the Warriors still need at times, giving them an upgrade on what they thought Trayce Jackson-Davis might be for them by this his third season.
Gafford has recently returned from injury to make six appearances for the Mavericks so far this season, averaging 8.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 20.2 minutes per game. The 27-year-old averaged 12.3 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks last season, having been a key part of the franchise's run to the NBA Finals the year before.
Gafford is making $14.4 million this season, making salary-matching tricky but not impossible. The bigger question might be whether the Warriors are comfortable with the three-year, $54 million extension that's already been handed to him, having proven unwilling to spend much from a financial perspective on big men over the pasrt decade.
Any Golden State interest in Gafford will also be dependant on the form of Al Horford and Quinten Post, along with Jackson-Davis who will still get opportunity on nights when Horford is resting.