5 Teams Bidding for Mavericks' Top Trade Piece Daniel Gafford

If the Dallas Mavericks do move a center out at the trade deadline, reports are that it's much more likely to be Daniel Gafford rather than Anthony Davis.

According to Hoops Wire:

League-wide, Gafford is viewed as Dallas’ most movable piece ahead of the Feb. 5 deadline. He is productive, on a manageable deal, and fits cleanly into a contender’s rotation as a rim-runner, rebounder, and interior defender.
If Dallas decides to reshuffle its roster, Gafford is the name most executives expect to move first.

We already at one report that saw Gafford on the table in a potential deal with the Indiana Pacers, who are desperate to fill the huge void in the middle left behind when Myles Turner shockingly left in the summer to sign a big free agent deal with the Milwaukee Bucks.

Other teams in the bidding on Gafford include:

Boston Celtics
Atlanta Hawks
Charlotte Hornets
Golden State Warriors

The Celtics and Warriors are teams who fancy themselves as contenders, and are very much in need of adding a legit center who can defend the paint.

Making him even easier to fit on any team's roster is the fact that Gafford's contract is extremely reasonable. He's already got a three-year, $54 million extension in place starting next season, with an $18 million AAV.

The high-energy, athletic 6'10" big man, Gafford is elite at contesting shots at the rim and protecting the paint. On offense, he's a threat in pick-and-roll scenarios, and is known for his explosive vertical ability to get up and finish with emphatic dunks.

The 27-year-old's production is down a bit this season, as he's averaging only 7.6 points per game. He is posting 6.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocked shots, in only 20 minutes of floor time per night.

It's not surprising that Gafford has eminently more interest in the market than 10-time All-Star Anthony Davis, as the latter continues to battle an endless string of injuries that have kept him off the floor for all but 29 games in the calendar year he's been with the Mavs. His three-year, $175 million contract ($58M AAV) is also a huge deterrent.