NBA – Next Mavericks’ big departure after Luka Doncic already identified ?

Par Joël Pütz | Journaliste sportif

The Mavericks’ future was shaken up a few months ago following the trade of Luka Doncic. And GM Nico Harrison may not be done making major moves yet… Another key player in the Texans roster also appears destined for a departure.

For a franchise that announced it wanted to compete for the title right away in February, it’s safe to say 2024-25 a failure. The management wanted to be reassuring after trading Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis, but the fact remains that Dallas didn’t even make the playoffs this season after surrendering to Memphis in the Play-In.

Davis and his new teammates are now on vacation, but the upcoming offseason won’t be easy for the franchise’s management. By parting ways with Doncic, they’ve written off their long-term athletic future and are now focused on win-now. Which will not be easy, given that Kyrie Irving could miss part of the upcoming season, and it’s unclear whether he and AD will stay long.

Daniel Gafford close to leaving the Mavericks

Regardless, roster improvements seem necessary to alter Jason Kidd’s strategy. The coach previously built his systems around the Slovenian, after all… While we don’t know which recruits will be targeted, we do know a little more about the players who should be sacrificed. In order to lighten an already crowded frontcourt and save money, a starter should be making his way out this summer:

@knifetalkmavs : Mavs fans need to accept that Gafford will have to be traded soon. Once Lively’s extension kicks in it’ll be unfeasible to have an overwhelming majority of your cap going to 3 centers. I’d love to keep him if the cap allows us but I just don’t see the path with the new CBA.

Remember, Anthony Davis had long demanded to play alongside a true center with the Lakers and he finally got what he wanted with the Mavericks, who have two of them in Derek Lively II and Daniel Gafford. Except that now, the Texans have to cut back, and under these conditions, it’s the former Wizards player who would most likely pay the price.

This makes sense, since Gafford could command a higher salary than he’s currently earning ($14 million next season), while his rival is only a sophomore and costs much less. With the veteran player only having one year left on his contract, parting ways with him would be simpler, and he could be an attractive target for the competition. And therefore, give Dallas a promising counterpart…