The Indiana Pacers have been linked to numerous centers this season as they look to find their Myles Turner replacement. But if the latest rumors are correct, they are not the only team exploring a trade for Daniel Gafford of the Dallas Mavericks. And if multiple teams are pursuing trades for him, maybe he'll be on the move after all, with the Pacers being a prime landing spot for him.
According to Marc Stein of The Stein Line, the Atlanta Hawks and Boston Celtics also have interest in the 27-year-old.
"The Hawks, league sources say, have been insistent that they were never willing to add former No. 1 overall Zaccharie Risacher to the expiring contracts of Kristaps Porziņģis and Luke Kennard in an offer for Davis, but I have heard a rival executive or two posit that the teams do have the option of pivoting to a potential Daniel Gafford swap that takes Risacher out of the haggling completely if they wish," Stein wrote.
"Atlanta is said to have some interest in the Dallas big man alongside Indiana and Boston (which had widely explored the trade market for Anfernee Simons)."
Each team has its own assets that it could trade for a center. As Stein mentions, Atlanta has the expiring contracts of Kristaps Porzingis and Luke Kennard, whereas the Celtics have Anfernee Simons, who is also an impending free agent.
As for the Pacers, their best and most obvious trade piece is Bennedict Mathurin. He is set to hit restricted free agency in the summer, and there are still questions about his long-term role in Indiana and whether he can truly ever become a good fit in its system.
Whether trading him or not is a good idea is its own debate, but if the Pacers are serious about landing a new starting center, moving on from Mathurin may be the only way.
Regardless of whether it happens or not, multiple reports have indicated that Indiana is serious about upgrading its center position. And given how much has already been said about Gafford as a possible trade candidate this season, he may be its best chance at achieving its goal this season.
Should the Pacers trade for Daniel Gafford?
Assuming the Mavericks are truly willing to trade Gafford, he would make sense in Indiana. He is still young, would be a fantastic paint presence on both sides of the ball, and he would immediately become their best center.
Gafford isn't a household name or anything, but at this point, the Pacers can't do much better at center than him. So in theory, trading for him does seem like a no-brainer.
However, it's also incredibly risky, especially if there are other teams eying him as well. The last thing the Pacers want right now is to get into a bidding war in the trade market, given how low they are on assets. Trading Mathurin on its own is risky, but if the Pacers need to add a lot more to that to make a deal happen, it could come back to bite them in a big way.
There are pros and cons to trading for Gafford. But at this point, the positives outweigh the negatives. He is an obvious upgrade at center, and he would be a fantastic fit with Tyrese Haliburton running the point because of his presence as a lob threat. And if the Pacers are serious about re-entering the title picture as soon as next season, they need a more dependable center.
Fortunately for them, they may be able to get exactly that ahead of the Feb. 5 trade deadline.