Throughout the Zion Williamson era, the New Orleans Pelicans have struggled to provide him with consistent support in the frontcourt. Every year, it feels like there’s a conversation on who should start at the five and if New Orleans center depth complements their star forward. One of the names I will continue to suggest as an ideal fit with the Pelicans at the five is Dallas Mavericks big man Daniel Gafford. The 27-year-old is a strong rebounder, rim protector, and play finisher who handles all the dirty work that a star like Zion doesn’t have time to worry about.
Recently, NBA Insider Marc Stein reported on Sunday that Dallas is actively fielding offers for Gafford.
If new Mavericks President of Basketball Operations Masai Ujiri is truly shopping Gafford, this is a great opportunity for Joe Dumars to save the Pelicans from what has been a nightmare offseason.
Daniel Gafford should be a Pelican
Throughout the entirety of the Pelicans' offseason, things have been far too quiet for a team that won 26 games last season and 21 the year prior. New Orleans has made three moves, re-signing DeAndre Jordan, drafting Jaron Pierre Jr. in round two, and hiring Jamahl Mosley as the franchise's next head coach. The idea is that Mosley can come in and bring some of what he did in Orlando and elevate what the front office already feels is a talented group built for internal growth.
Not a bad idea conceptually, but when you look around the Western Conference, if New Orleans even wants to be semi-competitive, they should take a swing on Gafford. Considering DG has been in trade rumors for two straight years, his value isn’t going to be high, and Dallas is likely looking to move him strictly for cap relief reasons.
This past season, he averaged 9.5 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game while shooting 65.5 percent from the field. Gafford posted those numbers in the midst of the Mavs' tanking season, which had a heavy focus on developing their young core. With the Pelicans, he would be back to really playing for something as he did in 2024 when he was a vital piece in Dallas’ run to the NBA Finals.
Acquiring Gafford and having him be the team's starting center wouldn’t only help Zion or give New Orleans a bruising roller they haven’t had since Steven Adams, but it would also help everyone else.
For someone like Trey Murphy III, having DG set pin-downs to open up perimeter shots could help Murphy III reach a new tier as a scorer. For the guards, it gives them a reliable screen and roller to go to when the offense stalls. And for Yves Missi, it takes a ton of pressure off him and allows him to get another season of backup reps to continue his development, while also providing a mentor who shares similar strengths.
Gafford has always seemed like a dream center for the Pelicans, someone who checks every box they haven’t checked at center for years. With the door now clearly open for New Orleans to answer one of their biggest offseason question marks, Joe Dumars needs to get on the phone and make a deal happen.
The 2026 offseason has been a disappointment for fans, and acquiring Gafford doesn’t magically make everything better. But it would finally put an end to the never-ending uncertainty that the Pelicans have had at center in the Zion Williamson era.
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