Ever since the Utah Jazz traded Walker Kessler, Daniel Gafford has been brought up as his potential replacement. Gafford is not as good as Kessler, but he's good enough to hold his own that he can be the last piece of the title team. He has a track record of being just that, as Dallas went on their run to the NBA Finals after acquiring him at the prior trade deadline.
That's why it makes sense that the Mavericks won't give him away, as he can still do just that. Rumor has it from ClutchPoints' Brett Siegel that they are holding firm on their price for Gafford of a first-round pick.
"Speaking of Gafford, the Mavs continue to signal that they will be very open to any deal involving Gafford that would net them a first-round pick," Siegel wrote.
You know who has quite a few first-round picks to offer? The Jazz.
Even so, first-round picks are now more valuable than ever thanks to the flattened lottery odds. Dallas is in a transitional phase, but even so, they have made it clear they are not handing over valuable players like Gafford just because they're starting over.
There's already been a fair case for why Gafford should be Utah's No. 1 target if they are on the lookout for a Kessler replacement. However, the Jazz have no reason to rush things, plus they might not be so keen on offering that pick.
But that could change.
If Gafford is Utah's last piece, they should meet Dallas' demands
Even without Kessler, the Jazz are expected to be an excellent team, though there would be more faith in them if Kessler had stayed. Still, if Utah didn't believe in their own capabilities, they wouldn't have made the deal in the first place.
What makes the Jazz is so exciting is that there's no way to tell at the moment how good they are going to be. Their ceiling is pretty ambiguous with the roster constructed the way it is. There's a good chance they're too talented for the Kessler trade to hinder them that much and there's good chance it could go the opposite route.
No matter how it turns out, Utah is happy to see where this goes, but if it's clear all they need is an upgrade at the five spot, one in which would only have to be good enough to fill some holes for the Jazz to really make some noise in the West, then this would be an easy deal to make.
The Mavericks made this exact gamble back in 2024, and it paid off big time even if it didn't get them a title. If the Jazz think he can do the same in Utah and maybe more, then a first-round pick is well worth the cost, though it would depend on what pick exactly they are giving up.
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