The Golden State Warriors may look at an upgrade at center before next month's mid-season trade deadline, but they should be avoiding what would be a disastrous move for Dallas Mavericks big man Daniel Gafford.
Gafford is drawing plenty of trade speculation leading into the deadline, yet his injury concerns, contract and likely role with the Warriors means a move for the 27-year-old would be unwise in the coming weeks.
Warriors should avoid Daniel Gafford trade at all costs
Gafford has appeared in 29 games for the Mavericks this season including 20 starts, averaging 7.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.3 blocks. That might not be the greatest reflection of what the 6'10" center can do, having posted12.3 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks last season.
There's no doubt that, when healthy, Gafford can provide the sort of two-way interior impact that Golden State currently lack. He can be a vicious dunker and lob threat offensively, while protecting the rim with elite athleticism on the other end.
Trayce Jackson-Davis was providing some of that for the Warriors in recent weeks, having averaged over 15 minutes between December 6 and January 2. The third-year center has since been removed from the rotation again, leaving Golden State with their pair of stretch bigs in Quinten Post and Al Horford, along with Draymond Green as a prominent small-ball option.
Gafford could be a realistic option for Mike Dunleavy Jr. and the front office before the deadline, particularly when the Mavericks have reportedly shown interest in wantaway forward Jonathan Kuminga.
But as much as the Warriors could do with a two-way interior presence to complement what they currently have, the cost of Gafford is too significant for them to truly consider a move before February 5.
Firstly, with Gafford not being a floor spacer whatsoever, he likely wouldn't be a starter in a frontcourt featuring Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green. In fact, you'd have to wonder whether he'd even play 20 minutes in Steve Kerr's rotation, particularly come playoff time when Golden State inevitably like to go small.
Perhaps more importantly, ESPN's Shams Charania and Anthony Slater reported on Thursday that the Warriors are targeting expiring contracts in a Kuminga trade. With three years and $54.4 million on his contract, Gafford doesn't align with that objective whatsoever.
Golden State should be willing to sacrifice their future payroll flexibility for certain targets, but Gafford isn't one of those as a non-star whose role would be limited. The Warriors should be aiming higher in a Kuminga trade before the deadline, utilizing their future draft assets for a major upgrade that would strengthen their championship hopes.