Mavericks, Daniel Gafford agree to big contract extension

Mavericks center Daniel Gafford intends to sign a three-year contract extension, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports (X link). The contract is worth approximately $54M, Marc Stein reports. , with $54.3MM being the maximum he could receive, cap expert Yossi Gozlan notes.

The extension does not include an option in the final year, Grant Afseth of the Dallas Hoops Journal reports.

Gafford has one year and $14,386,320 remaining on the three-year contract he signed while a member of the Wizards. The extension will run through the 2028/29 season.

Gafford appeared in 57 games this season, including 31 starts. He averaged a career-best 12.3 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks. Gafford is a bit undersized at center, listed at 6’10”, but has always been one of the top shot-blockers since he entered the league in 2019.

Most of the shots that Gafford takes are off lob passes or offensive rebounds. He has a career 70.9 field goal percentage.

The reasonably priced extension could make him a tradeable commodity if Dallas chooses to do so at some stage. Otherwise, he slots in as one of the Mavericks’ top frontcourt reserves off the bench along with P.J. Washington, presuming that Dereck Lively, Anthony Davis and top pick Cooper Flagg will be the frontcourt starters.