Trade & FA 2025-26: Free Agency Starts 5pm CST/6pm EST

[DanSchwartzgan]

I don't think Ivey is worth Gafford, but he may be worth a flier as a reclamation project. Although I don't think the Mavs want to invest the time given ideally they are trying to win next year.

Thanks for the medical info.

While I acknowledge that a team with Lively on the roster has to have another starter level or near-starter level center, I'd probably take it a step further.  A team with Lively on the roster has to have an entire center rotation solution for the games he will miss.  In other words, it probably has to also have a functional third stringer and potentially a two-way spot dedicated to the position.  Does it have to be from among people like Gafford, Powell, Bagley and Cisse?  No.  

As to Gafford specifically, his contract was designed to be tradeable.  There are numerous reports that he was shopped ahead of the TDL.  He was brought in during a time when the team 'might' have had a different vision for the position than the vision for what is needed now.  I say 'might' because we are new at this whole 'building around Flagg' thing and we don't have the vision-caster in position yet.  So, I'd say the concept of a "Gafford-level" center is more important than it specifically being Gafford himself.

That wasn't so much about what you said as it was a general comment.  Your comment about Gafford vs. Ivey does bring something to mind that I've been thinking about for awhile.  At some point we are going to have to hit on some acquisitions who are more than they appear to be at the time of the trade.  It doesn't have to be Ivey, but I'll use him as an example.  We collectively have a habit here of shooting down ideas based on who players are today rather than who someone might become.  We have a very good idea what Gafford is here in our system.  But we don't know what other players might become.  A year ago if I had thrown out current league darling Peyton Watson (for example), the response would have been about low volume or below league average on 3's or a lack of self-creation.  Arguments in favor of Watson (again, for example) would have fallen largely on deaf ears because of what he couldn't do "At The Time".  Our own Max Christie has turned out much better this season than what people thought he might become when he was first traded here.

Beside Flagg, our team building assets are the 2026 pick, the possibility of cap room in 2028 (if Kyrie retires or moves on), a bunch of junk #1 picks and trades/signings around the fringes.  The thing that takes this to a different level is nailing something like a Gafford for Player X type deal.  I have no idea if Ivey is Player X.  That's someone else's job.  I just wish we (collectively) had more imagination for what someone might be two seasons from now when it really starts to matter.