The Dallas Mavericks and Washington Wizards agreed to a deal on Thursday ahead of the NBA trade deadline. Dallas acquired Daniel Gafford from Washington for Richaun Holmes and draft compensation.

Dallas may still look to make more moves. However, adding Gafford addressed the Mavericks' need for another big man. Holmes is a talented player, but had fell out of the rotation with the Mavericks.

So how did the Mavericks ultimately fare in this trade?

Mavericks acquire Gafford

It's been well-documented that the Mavericks needed help in the post. They were previously linked to a number of centers and forwards, and could still look to acquire another player or two.

The deal to acquire Gafford has a lot of potential though.

Dallas is just 25th in rebounds per game as of this story's writing, averaging 41.5 per contest. Luka Doncic is Dallas' rebounding leader at the moment. He's currently averaging 8.8 boards per game.

Dereck Lively II is recording 7.9 rebounds per game. The only other player with five or more rebounds per contest is Kyrie Irving, who's averaging exactly 5.0 boards per game.

So yes, the need for rebounding help was apparent. And Gafford happens to be averaging 8.0 rebounds per outing across 45 games played for the Wizards in 2023-24. So he instantly becomes Dallas' second leading rebounder.

Gafford also offers rim-protecting ability, as evidenced by his 2.2 rebounds per contest. The Mavericks' defense has dealt with uncertainty at times this season, and Gafford should help the Mavs in pivotal fashion in terms of protecting the paint.

With Lively and Gafford both on the roster, Dallas' defense should take a drastic step forward.

Dallas trades Holmes to Washington

Richaun Holmes is not a bad player. He enjoyed some impressive seasons with the Sacramento Kings from 2019-2022. But since joining the Mavericks, Holmes has averaged just 3.4 points per contest across 10.3 minutes per game.

It would not be surprising to see Holmes bounce back if given more playing time. Washington is just 9-41 and they aren't competing by any means, but perhaps Holmes will receive more minutes with the Wizards.

The Mavericks are also trading draft compensation away. The compensation heading to Washington was dealt to Dallas from the Oklahoma City Thunder. It's difficult to judge draft compensation in trades. Maybe the Wizards will use it to upgrade their roster down the road.

Final trade grade

In the end, the Mavericks needed to add post depth at the very least before the trade deadline. Sure, standing pat would not have been the worst scenario, but Dallas wanted to address areas of concern on the roster.

It remains to be seen if the Mavs will make more deals. If their only acquisition ends up being Gafford, though, Dallas can feel optimistic nonetheless.

Yes, it is not a headline-stealing trade. But the Mavericks' rebounding and defense is going to improve as a result of this deal. And the offense is already more than capable with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving leading the charge. It certainly can be a bit inconsistent at times given Dallas' reliance on three-point shooting, but offense isn't an issue.

So the Mavericks addressed two areas that were concerns. It's difficult to argue against the Mavericks' decision to make this trade. Additionally, Daniel Gafford is just 25 years old and could potentially factor into Dallas' long-term plans.

Mavericks final trade grade: A-