The Dallas Mavericks are reportedly acquiring Daniel Gafford from the Washington Wizards, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Dallas is sending Richaun Holmes and draft compensation to Washington for Gafford.

NBA insider Marc Stein provided an update on the reportedly agreed upon trade between the Mavericks and Wizards:

“The Mavericks are in the process of trying to acquire the needed draft compensation to furnish Washington to complete its pending deal to acquire Wizards center Daniel Gafford for Richaun Holmes, league sources say,” Stein wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

UPDATE: The Mavericks are expected to acquire the necessary draft compensation from the Oklahoma City Thunder, Stein reports. The compensation will be sent to Washington and barring any setbacks, this trade is likely to become official.

What Daniel Gafford brings to Mavericks

Gafford, 25, is a big man who should help the Mavericks in a pivotal way. Dallas has been looking to add depth in the post behind Dereck Lively II, and Gafford was previously mentioned as a potential trade candidate for the Mavs.

Gafford has averaged 10.9 points per game across 45 contests with the Wizards during the 2023-24 season. He's also averaging 8.0 rebounds, something that surely caught the Mavs' attention.

The Mavericks have endured trouble in the rebounding department this season. Dereck Lively II has helped matters, and Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving are two of the better rebounding guards in the league. Still, Dallas needed to add a player capable of consistently grabbing boards.

Between Gafford's offensive potential and rebounding prowess, this appears to be a good move for the Mavericks.

It should be noted that Holmes is a talented player. He's only averaged 10.3 minutes per game this season, though, so perhaps he will find more playing time in Washington.