If the Pelicans' President of Basketball Operations, Joe Dumars, wants his team to be competitive with the West’s best next season, it’s time he addresses a major flaw. For several seasons now, the Pelicans' starting center spot has been neglected, as if only four starters are on the court. Whether it was having Daniel Theis start his last season in the league at the five, throwing a rookie Yves Missi into the fire, or most recently having Derik Queen play out of position, the center spot has been a major weakness.
With Dumars appearing committed to Zion Williamson as one half of his starting frontcourt for the future, bringing in a defensive anchor is a necessity. New Orleans needs a bruising, strong, tough physical rim-protector at the five.
Names that have been floated include Rudy Gobert (depending on how Minnesota fares in the playoffs) and Robert Williams, who’s set to be a free agent this summer. But what about Daniel Gafford?
According to Dallas Mavericks reporter and Site Expert for The Smoking Cuban, Noah Weber, the Mavs could explore trading Gafford this summer. If that possibility becomes a reality, New Orleans should take a swing.
Gafford gives Pelicans the center they need
Weber noted that with Gafford being in trade rumors for a second straight season, it wouldn’t be shocking if Dallas were open to trading him. He also mentioned that with Gafford playing in 55 games this past season and 57 the year prior, he doesn’t provide enough stability, with the Mavs already having one injury-riddled big in Dereck Lively II.
This season, Gafford averaged 9.5 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game while shooting 65.5 percent from the field. Now, these counting stats may not jump out to Pelicans fans, but context is important. For a fair bit of the season, Dallas was tanking and prioritizing their young talent, which led to Gafford taking a back seat. It’s also important to remember the Mavericks had no point guard to properly set up the team's bigs or create for them in the pick-and-roll.
For the Pelicans, it would be quite the opposite, as Gafford would be paired with an elite passer in Dejounte Murray. The two could create a deadly screen-and-roll tandem that would see Murray’s assist numbers jump and Gafford’s scoring stats skyrocket.Â
Outside of Yves Missi, the Pelicans are incredibly thin at the five, and bringing in Gafford would bring the stability and experience the team needs at center. It would also be a positive change for Gafford, who would go from sharing frontcourt reps with Lively II to being the guy. Back in 2024, when the Mavericks went on their run to the NBA Finals, we saw how incredible Gafford can be when in a winning situation.
Gafford has three more years on his contract at around $18 million per season—matching salaries in a trade should be no problem for the Pelicans. With his value looking like it may be the lowest of his career, buying low this offseason could be a perfect way for the Pelicans to find their long-term solution at the center spot
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