Daniel Gafford, Mavs Agree to 3-Year, $60M Contract Extension Amid NBA Trade Rumors

The Dallas Mavericks were rumored to be exploring trades for center Daniel Gafford, but he won't be going anywhere anytime soon.

Per ESPN's Shams Charania, Gafford intends to sign a three-year contract extension with the Mavs worth nearly $60 million that would keep him with the franchise through the 2028-29 season.

Though the contract could still allow a trade, NBA Insider Marc Stein reported that a "source with knowledge of Dallas' thinking" denied that is part of the team's plan with the extension.

"The Mavericks are known to be reluctant to part with Gafford, despite considerable expected trade interest, in the wake of an injury-riddled second season for fellow center Dereck Lively II in which Lively was limited to 36 games," Stein added.

ESPN's Tim MacMahon reported in May on the Hoop Collective podcast (via Robert Marvi of LeBron Wire) that the Mavs "quietly sniffed around the value of Daniel Gafford before this deadline." The NBA insider added that he "reasonably and rightly wants to get starting center money." It appears that he got his wish on Monday.

The 26-year-old is coming off another productive season. He averaged 12.3 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in 21.5 minutes per contest. He did miss 25 games, much of that due to a right knee sprain in February.

Gafford's extension comes as general manager Nico Harrison reorients the roster around Anthony Davis, something he didn't have time to do following Davis' arrival at the trade deadline.

The 10-time All-Star joined a team that already had two capable bigs in Gafford and Dereck Lively II, but Harrison chose not to use that depth in a potential trade to strengthen in a different area of the court.

Gafford is five years older than Lively, and he was headed for free agency in 2026 before Monday's extension. Lively, meanwhile, is still on his rookie deal and will be eligible for restricted free agency in 2027.

Getting paid like a starter would reflect how well Gafford has performed over the last few years. Since the start of 2021-22, he has averaged 17.1 points, 10.6 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per 36 minutes while shooting 71.3 percent from the field, according to Basketball Reference.

Gafford's payday signifies that Dallas believes it could make things work with all three of its big men. With Davis starting his three-year, $175.4 million extension, the Mavs don't seem to mind having too much money tied up at the center position.

The impending addition of Duke star forward Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 pick in Wednesday's 2025 NBA draft creates even more intrigue for the Mavs, as they will be deploying a sizable lineup next season after retaining Gafford.