Latest news with #Gafford
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Report: Dallas Mavericks could pursue a trade for Jrue Holiday this offseason
Report: Dallas Mavericks could pursue a trade for Jrue Holiday this offseason There are early reports that the Boston Celtics could be busy in the offseason in making several roster changes, and one of the hottest rumors is a trade involving point guard Jrue Holiday. After one recent report suggested that the Los Angeles Clippers could be potential suitors for Holiday, another team has entered the rumor mill mix, the Dallas Mavericks. Earlier this week, Chris Forsberg and Kayla Burton of NBC Sports Boston discussed the rumor of Holiday being traded to Dallas, and how a return could include big man Daniel Gafford. Holiday is likely going to be the most speculated player on the roster, as the Celtics will work to put together a roster that will be without Jayson Tatum for an extended period of time. In the speculated deal, the discussion revolves around the Celtics receiving Gafford, who has been a formidable force in the paint for the Mavericks over the past two seasons. During his time with Dallas, Gafford has averaged career highs in points and rebounds, including 12.3 points and 6.8 rebounds in the 2024-25 season. After the Mavericks made a blockbuster trade to acquire superstar Anthony Davis, a big man like Gafford could be more expendable to move, especially in search for a point guard after they lost Kyrie Irving to a torn ACL in March. Watch the video above to hear the full discussion about a potential trade between the Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics, two franchises who will be looking to retool their roster after losing a superstar late this past season. Trading Holiday would open up more opportunities for Derrick White and Payton Pritchard to run the point guard position if Boston were to move the veteran guard.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Report: Dallas Mavericks could pursue a trade for Jrue Holiday this offseason
There are early reports that the Boston Celtics could be busy in the offseason in making several roster changes, and one of the hottest rumors is a trade involving point guard Jrue Holiday. After one recent report suggested that the Los Angeles Clippers could be potential suitors for Holiday, another team has entered the rumor mill mix, the Dallas Mavericks. Earlier this week, Chris Forsberg and Kayla Burton of NBC Sports Boston discussed the rumor of Holiday being traded to Dallas, and how a return could include big man Daniel Gafford. Holiday is likely going to be the most speculated player on the roster, as the Celtics will work to put together a roster that will be without Jayson Tatum for an extended period of time. Advertisement In the speculated deal, the discussion revolves around the Celtics receiving Gafford, who has been a formidable force in the paint for the Mavericks over the past two seasons. During his time with Dallas, Gafford has averaged career highs in points and rebounds, including 12.3 points and 6.8 rebounds in the 2024-25 season. After the Mavericks made a blockbuster trade to acquire superstar Anthony Davis, a big man like Gafford could be more expendable to move, especially in search for a point guard after they lost Kyrie Irving to a torn ACL in March. Watch the video above to hear the full discussion about a potential trade between the Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics, two franchises who will be looking to retool their roster after losing a superstar late this past season. Trading Holiday would open up more opportunities for Derrick White and Payton Pritchard to run the point guard position if Boston were to move the veteran guard. This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Report: Dallas Mavericks could pursue a trade for Jrue Holiday
USA Today
06-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
NBA writer proposes trade that would give Lakers the center they need
NBA writer proposes trade that would give Lakers the center they need The Los Angeles Lakers' biggest roster need this offseason is obviously a starting-level center. Their lack of such a player was never more evident than it was during their loss in the first round of the NBA playoffs to the Minnesota Timberwolves, who manhandled them inside and outrebounded them badly. The Lakers lost the series in five games, and general manager Rob Pelinka readily admitted their need for an upgrade at the 5 spot afterward. There will surely be plenty of rumors and proposals over the next several weeks as far as what they may do to address this deficiency. Veteran NBA reporter Tim MacMahon suggested on the "The Hoop Collective" podcast that the franchise team up with a friendly general manager who already gave them a huge gift three months ago by proposing that it acquire Daniel Gafford from the Dallas Mavericks. 'Let me throw one at you. This is pure hypothetical, me trying to be GM, figure out things that might make sense,' MacMahon said. 'The Mavericks quietly sniffed around the value of Daniel Gafford before this deadline. It certainly would make sense for them to do that this summer.' The Mavs and executive Nico Harrison obviously sent Luka Doncic to Los Angeles at a low price, and Harrison has a friendship with Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka that goes back many years. MacMahon's reasoning from the Mavs' perspective is that they will not be able to keep all of their key big men. 'Dereck Lively is a year away from getting an extension, Daniel Gafford is entering the final year of his contract, Gafford reasonably and rightly wants to get starting center money,' MacMahon explained. 'You can't have AD (Anthony Davis) on a max, Lively on a big contract and pay Gafford starting center money.' The reporter then proposed what type of package the Lakers could send to Dallas for Gafford. 'I could at least put something together that would at least be intriguing for the Mavericks. 'Rui [Hachimura], all those picks that they've got to give up, a swap or two, I can put something together to make sense to both sides.' Gafford would be a very solid get for Los Angeles. At 6-foot-10, he isn't the tallest center around, but he weighs 265 pounds and is a true shot-blocker. This season, he averaged 12.3 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in 21.5 minutes a game. He shot an incredible 70.2% from the field, mostly because 69% of his field-goal attempts came from within three feet of the basket. But he had 113 dunks in 57 games and is the type of lob threat and rim runner who the Lakers need in the middle offensively. Of course, Gafford spent some time playing with Doncic, so the two already have a bit of chemistry together. He will make just under $14.4 million next season, so it shouldn't cost a lot of trade capital to get him, and at age 26, he could be a member of the Lakers for years to come.
Miami Herald
02-04-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Hawks work toward improving postseason seeding as they visit Mavericks
Coming off a disappointing first half of a back-to-back set, the Atlanta Hawks will look to hold steady in the Eastern Conference play-in race when they visit the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday. Atlanta (36-39) enters play having lost three of its past four games, including Tuesday's 127-113 home setback to the Portland Trail Blazers. The Hawks were trying to build separation on the Orlando Magic but instead saw their lackluster performance, paired with a Magic victory in San Antonio, result in Atlanta falling a percentage point in back of its Southeast Division rival. The Hawks also lead the Miami Heat by just two games and the Chicago Bulls by 2 1/2 for a play-in spot. Atlanta turned the ball over 19 times and took its last lead in the opening minutes of the second quarter. The Hawks also allowed 19 offensive rebounds in the loss. "We have to be more precise with our passing, more sure with the ball," Hawks head coach Quin Snyder said. "On the glass, there's going to be a few that are hard for us to corral, but we need to be as physical as we can. Those two areas of the game hurt us." Atlanta point guard Trae Young poured in 29 points and 15 assists -- increasing his league-leading average to 11.6 assists per game. The seventh-year pro is looking to appear in the playoffs for the fourth time, and he knows the Hawks have another important opportunity Wednesday. "That's part of the NBA," Young said. "You can never get too high or too low at any point of the season, so right now I'm not too low after the loss." Dallas (37-39) is in its own postseason push, currently sitting a half-game ahead of the Sacramento Kings for the No. 9 spot in the Western Conference and two games ahead of the Phoenix Suns. After a miserable 1-9 start to March, the Mavericks have won four of six to revitalize an unpredictable season. Dallas fell 113-109 at home to the Brooklyn Nets on Monday after squandering a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter. In an injury-riddled campaign, the Mavericks finally got some good news as center Daniel Gafford returned from a 21-game absence due to a sprained knee. He posted 17 points and seven rebounds in the Monday loss. "I've got a big heart for the game," Gafford said. "Every day that I was out, I was just trying to get better. It wasn't the end of the world or the end of my career. ... I'm very happy to be back." Gafford, who averages 12.4 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game, started alongside fellow big man Anthony Davis in his first game back. Davis, who returned last week from an extended absence due to an adductor injury suffered in his first game with Dallas, is averaging 16.6 points and 8.6 rebounds in five games since being traded from the Los Angeles Lakers for Luka Doncic. --Field Level Media Field Level Media 2023 - All Rights Reserved
New York Times
01-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Anthony Davis, Mavericks blow opportunity for a key win in Daniel Gafford's return
Before Monday, Anthony Davis' record as a Dallas Maverick was unblemished. In the four games in which he'd suited up, the Mavericks had earned wins over the Houston Rockets (Feb. 8), Brooklyn Nets (March 24), Orlando Magic (March 27) and Chicago Bulls (March 29). Saturday, Davis scored 18 points in his native city of Chicago, a morale boost for a Mavericks team that finished its four-game trip with a 3-1 record. Monday's game against the Brooklyn Nets was an excellent opportunity to keep the positive momentum and add to Dallas' cushion in the Play-In Tournament race. Instead, the Mavericks squandered a 10-point fourth-quarter lead to a Nets team that will be hoping for the right combination of ping-pong balls at the NBA Draft Lottery later this spring. Advertisement 'Fouls. Questionable shots. We were bad from the line,' Davis said after Dallas' 113-109 home loss. 'They hit 20 3s. It's tough to beat a team when you're giving them wide-open 3s. Fast breaks. Turning the ball over in crucial situations. They got out and got some easy ones.' For much of March, Mavericks coach Jason Kidd got through games with a skeleton crew. His team was so injury-depleted that forwards Naji Marshall and Kessler Edwards took turns guarding other teams' centers. The good news for Dallas is that Kidd should have all of his regulars in the frontcourt available soon. Daniel Gafford returned to the lineup Monday after missing the previous 21 games with a right knee sprain. He showed few signs of being rusty, scoring 17 points and grabbing seven rebounds in 19 minutes. Gafford scored his first basket of the game early in the second quarter. Davis threw him a lob over the top of the defense, which Gafford dunked. 'A.D., in my opinion, is one of the best playmakers at the position he plays in,' Gafford said. 'He already knows where to throw it. I just go get it.' Second-year center Dereck Lively II could be added to the mix this week. Lively has been out since Jan. 14 with a stress fracture in his right ankle. Davis and Gafford got to play one game together on Feb. 8 before injuries knocked them out for extended stretches. That afternoon, the Mavericks looked like a dominant defensive team, blocking a franchise-record 18 shots. At the 8:04 mark in the fourth quarter, Mavericks guard Jaden Hardy's driving layup pushed Dallas ahead 98-88. The rest of the way, however, the Nets outscored the Mavericks 25-11. The Mavericks (37-39) also missed five free throws in the last eight minutes. Advertisement Despite their sloppiness, they still had two go-ahead chances in the final 10 seconds. Klay Thompson missed a 3 from the right corner. Thompson then corralled his miss and found a wide-open Spencer Dinwiddie, whose shot rattled in and out. 'We know the position we are in,' Davis said. 'Definitely (a) winnable game for us. We should have won, but hats off to (the Nets). They shot the ball really well. We just have to do a better job on the defensive end.' Although the Mavericks' transition and 3-point defense left a lot to be desired, Gafford was optimistic about being paired alongside Davis. 'The thing that excites me is when it comes to certain parts of the game defensively, we are going to go through the roof,' Gafford said. 'Offensively, I need to be in the right spot at the right time. It makes my job easier. I just have to get better at guarding guys on the perimeter.' If Lively can play Wednesday against the Atlanta Hawks, it will be the first time Davis, Gafford and Lively are all available for Dallas at the same time. 'We are getting guys back,' Davis said. 'It was my first time playing with the two-big lineup for the entire game. It's something we'll get used to. But we also have to know we don't have much time. We are gearing up for Play-In, playoffs. We'll watch film, go practice and just get better.' (Photo of Daniel Gafford and Anthony Davis: Sam Hodde / Getty Images)
