Daniel Gafford has played on bad basketball teams for just about the entireity of his NBA career.
Reports, however, state the former Arkansas Razorbacks center and Natural State native will finally get a shot to make the NBA postseason and play with two of the best players in the world in doing so.
Gafford was, per reports, traded from the Washington Wizards to the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday for Richaun Holmes and a first-round pick. The 6-foot-10 center is expected to help Dallas defensively most, where the Mavericks rank in the bottom 10 in the NBA when it comes points-in-the-paint allowed.
Gafford can add a bit on the offensive end, as well. His 10.9 points per game are a personal best now in his sixth season. He’s shooting 69% from the floor and playing a career-high 26.5 minutes per game. The numbers all suggest the 2023-24 season is the best the El Dorado High product has put together as a pro.
Gafford was selected by the Chicago Bulls with the No. 39 pick overall, in the second round, of the 2019 NBA Draft. He was traded to the Wizards in 2021. Before turning pro, Gafford played two seasons in Fayetteville where he averaged 17 points and almost nine rebounds a game his sophomore year.