Trade Talk: A deal with the Hawks for draft capital

The Dallas Mavericks are shifting gears from the NBA Draft to free agency and trade season. Rumors abound pertaining to Daniel Gafford being moved out of Dallas, and this deal with the Hawks may be a reasonable expectation after hearing a first-round pick for him was hard to come by.

Prior Trade Talks

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Once again joining me for this potential transaction are MMB’s Jack Nowicki and Bryan Porter.

The trade proposal

The Mavericks move Daniel Gafford to the Atlanta Hawks for Cory Kispert and second-round picks in 2027, 2029 and 2032.

The discussion

Mike: So, despite recent rumors that a Draft day deal for Gafford never amounted to anything because the Mavs couldn’t get a first-round pick for him, I’m still deluded enough to believe a first-rounder is gettable. If the Mavs couldn’t  get a first-round pick in this draft, that doesn’t mean they can’t get one in a future draft. I think Gafford still warrants at least a single first-rounder. Are your thoughts on this proposal a consequence of being resigned to the idea Gafford will never net a first-rounder?

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Bryan: Yeah, I’ve sort of made up my mind that on his own, Gafford can’t bring back a solid first-round pick. I’m okay with that because I don’t rate him as a quality starting caliber big anyway, but it means we should be willing to accept second round compensation since the most recent draft showed us seconds are still the best petty cash currency to grease wheels on deals.

Mike: My hangup here is Dereck Lively. He remains an unknown quantity and if he sits out meaningful time, I dread to think of what the center rotation would be. Granted, much could change before the start of the season, but no Gafford and no Lively currently leaves you with Moussa Cisse – whom I like a lot, but who has about 40 games to his resume – and non-true centers. Completely lacking a position concerns me in and of itself, but also for what strains it would put on the rest of the rotation. I think I’m holding Gafford unless I’m getting a first-rounder. Where do you land on this, Jack?

Jack: My stance on trading Gafford hasn’t changed since…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/trade-talk-deal-hawks-draft-120000344.html

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Publish date : 2026-06-29 12:00:00

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