In the latest installment of puzzling Nico Harrison moves, the Dallas Mavericks intend to re-sign Daniel Gafford to a reported three-year, $54 million deal once free agency begins. While that sounds good that the Mavs solidified their frontcourt, it simply doesn’t make sense with Dereck Lively II and Anthony Davis already locked as their centers.
To me this is, once again, a desperate attempt to make sense of nonsense. Either Harrison and the Mavs aren’t confident in Davis’ health that he’ll be ready for the start of the season or that he’ll miss time throughout the season like he has for much of his career. Or, they simply are clueless when it comes to roster management.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are trying to figure out what they’re going to do about having two centers in their lineup and the Mavs are paying a backup center $20 million a year. It’s going to be tough to make sense of this one. Then again, it always is when it comes to Harrison.
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How does Cooper Flagg fit with the Dallas Mavs after the re-signed Daniel Gafford?
Assuming Harrison’s puzzling moves don’t carry over into the NBA Draft later this week, when Cooper Flagg’s name is called as the No. 1 overall pick, how exactly do the Mavs plan on inserting him in this lineup? Does this put Lively on the trading block? Do they consider trading Davis again?
The backcourt needs help. Flagg is a wing player, but tall enough to play the power forward position if needed. That would ideally be his role, but if they run a lineup with Gafford and Davis, will Flagg at the small forward position really work?
The Mavs should be making moves to build around Flagg. They have Kyrie Irving as essentially their only scorer right now. Davis is too much of a liability to be a confident No. 2 option. Flagg can be the No. 2, but that doesn’t negate the backcourt help this team needs.
Max Christie showed signs of being good enough to eventually become a solid player, but he’s still a developmental piece. Klay Thompson isn’t like his old self either. If Irving decides to decline his player option, that would be another hit to this roster.
The money Harrison used to extend Gafford could have been put to better use. The Mavs don’t have the championship-level roster they think they do. Once they draft Flagg, they’ll find out the hard way keeping Gafford, giving Lively a backseat and putting all their faith in Davis was the wrong decision.