Daniel Gafford

Mavs’ Anthony Davis Out At Least Two More Weeks

February 20th, 2025 at 2:02pm CST by Rory Maher

While star big man Anthony Davis is “making good progress” from his left adductor strain, he will be sidelined for at least two more weeks, which is when he’ll be reevaluated, the Mavericks announced today in a press release (Twitter link).

This is the first formal timeline Dallas has provided on Davis since he sustained the injury on February 8 against Houston. It was his first game in Mavs uniform following the blockbuster trade that sent Luka Doncic to the Lakers.

Reporting at the time indicated that Davis was expected to miss multiple weeks with the injury, with Marc Stein later reporting that there was hope that surgery could be avoided.

Head coach Jason Kidd told reporters today (Twitter link via Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News) that Davis and fellow big men Daniel Gafford (Grade 3 MCL Sprain) and Dereck Lively (ankle fracture) will all be reevaluated on Mar. 6. Reports have indicated that Gafford, who was injured on Feb. 10, and Lively, who is now out of a walking boot , are expected to miss additional time beyond Mar. 6.

On a more positive note, starting forward P.J. Washington, who sprained his right ankle on Feb. 8 and missed the final three games before the All-Star break, was a full participant in Thursday’s practice and will be questionable for Friday’s contest vs. New Orleans (Twitter links via the Mavs).

Backup center Dwight Powell, who has been out of action since Jan. 17 due to a right hip strain, went through the non-contact portions of Thursday’s practice. He’s doubtful for Friday’s game, but Kidd said both players are “trending in the right direction,” tweets Christian Clark of The Athletic.

Despite the litany of frontcourt injuries, the Mavs entered the break having won four of their past five games. They’ll also have journeyman center Moses Brown active tomorrow against the Pelicans — he went through today’s practice after his 10-day contract became official.

Mavs’ Gafford Expected To Miss Six Weeks With MCL Sprain

February 13th, 2025 at 10:44pm CST by Luke Adams

Mavericks center Daniel Gafford has been diagnosed with a Grade 3 MCL sprain in his right knee and is expected to be sidelined for six weeks, sources tell Shams Charania and Tim MacMahon of ESPN.

Gafford sustained the injury on Monday and the Mavericks announced on Tuesday that he would be out for at least two weeks, at which point he’d be reevaluated. Tonight’s reporting from Charania and MacMahon suggests the prognosis is worse than that initial update suggested.

It’s a disaster for the Mavericks, who had already expected to be without Dereck Lively until at least late March or April due to a stress fracture in his right ankle. And while the team has yet to issue a formal update on Anthony Davis‘ adductor strain, the belief is that the injury will keep Davis on the shelf until sometime in March.

That means Dallas will be without its top three big men until well beyond the All-Star break. Reserve center Dwight Powell also hasn’t played in a game since January 17 due to a hip strain, further depleting the club’s depth up front.

The Mavs do have an open 15-man roster spot, but they’re only operating about $171K below their first-apron hard cap, limiting their ability to actually fill that spot.

Essentially, Dallas can only fit 14 days of a prorated veteran’s minimum deal under that hard cap, so the team will have to wait until at least March 31 to finalize a rest-of-season contract. The other option would be to make a 10-day signing sooner rather than later, then (once that deal expires) leave the 15th spot open until the final few days of the season.

The good news for the Mavs is that they’ve actually won their last two games since Gafford went down, defeating Golden State on Wednesday and Miami on Thursday. That victory over the Heat came with Kyrie Irving (right shoulder soreness), Klay Thompson (left foot sprain), and P.J. Washington (right ankle sprain) also unavailable due to injuries, so the team will head into the All-Star break on a positive note.

Kessler Edwards, a 6’7″ forward, has started at center in each of the past two games. He had 15 points and nine rebounds and was a team-best +10 in 40 minutes of action on Thursday.

Mavs Center Daniel Gafford To Miss At Least Two Weeks

February 11th, 2025 at 6:05pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The injury news just keeps getting worse for the Mavericks.

Center Daniel Gafford sustained a right knee sprain on Monday against the Kings and will be reevaluated within two weeks, the team’s PR department tweets. Gafford has started 28 of 51 games this season, averaging 12.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.9 blocks in 21.9 minutes per game.

Dallas’ frontcourt has been decimated in recent weeks. Dereck Lively (right ankle stress fracture) could miss the remainder of the regular season and Dwight Powell (right hip strain) hasn’t played since Jan. 17.

Perennial All-Star Anthony Davis was injured in his Mavericks debut on Saturday. His left adductor strain will sideline him for multiple weeks. P.J. Washington is listed as questionable for Dallas’ game against Golden State on Wednesday due to a right ankle sprain, Grant Afseth of the Dallas Hoops Journal tweets.

Two-way player Kylor Kelley is the only other true big man on the roster. Forwards Kessler Edwards, Olivier-Maxence Prosper and Naji Marshall were utilized up front in small lineups after Gafford departed on Monday.

The Mavericks have an open roster spot, but are ineligible to sign a free agent to a rest-of-season contract due to their proximity to their first-apron hard cap. As we detailed on Monday, Dallas is about $171K below that hard cap and won’t be able to squeeze in a veteran rest-of-season signing until March 31.

The Mavs do have the ability to make one 10-day signing at any time, but that would leave the club just $51K shy of the first apron, unable to complete another deal until the season’s final week.

The All-Star break will buy the Mavericks a little time, but they’re likely to be in this predicament for at least a couple more weeks.

Injury Notes: Hart, Gafford, Ball, Cancar

February 11th, 2025 at 1:18pm CST by Luke Adams

Josh Hart hasn’t had to miss any time due to right knee soreness, but he has continually shown up on the Knicks‘ injury report as a result of the issue, notes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. The 29-year-old forward said on Monday that he isn’t sure whether or not he’ll need to undergo an offseason procedure on the knee.

“We’ll see what it calls for at the end of the season,” Hart said. “But, like I said before, I’m a servant to (my teammates) this year. I want to make sure I put these guys in the best situation. It’s not just for them. It’s also for (head coach Tom Thibodeau). I want to make sure that I’m available to him, I want to make sure when I’m out there, I’m playing at a high level and playing the game the way I know how to play. If I’m out there, I’m healthy enough. And I’m good.”

Hart has certainly achieved his goal of playing at a high level this season. Appearing in 51 of 52 possible games, he has scored 14.4 points per game, with career-best marks in rebounds (9.6 per game), assists (5.7), steals (1.5), field goal percentage (55.4%), and free throw percentage (80.6%).

Here are a few more injury-related notes from around the NBA:

The Mavericks‘ frontcourt situation went from bad to worse on Monday night, as starting center Daniel Gafford exited the game vs. Sacramento and didn’t return due to what the team called a right knee sprain (Twitter link). Dallas big men Dereck Lively (fracture in ankle) and Anthony Davis (adductor strain) are already expected to be unavailable for at least the next few weeks, so the club would be extremely shorthanded up front if Gafford has to miss time too.
Hornets guard LaMelo Ball, who has battled ankle issues for multiple seasons and just recently returned from a left ankle sprain, sat out the final three quarters of Monday’s loss to Brooklyn due to right ankle soreness (story via ESPN.com). While Ball said after the game that he didn’t think the injury was serious, the Hornets could hold him out of their final game before the All-Star break on Wednesday in order to give him an extra week to rest.
Nuggets forward Vlatko Cancar, who underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in early December, will remain on the shelf through the All-Star break, but there’s a chance his return isn’t too far off, according to head coach Michael Malone (Twitter link via Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette). Malone said over the weekend that Cancar might make it back to the court before Peyton Watson does — Watson was ruled out for at least four weeks on February 3 due to a right knee sprain.

Southwest Notes: Davis, Mavs, Rockets, Fox

February 7th, 2025 at 7:03pm CST by Luke Adams

Star big man Anthony Davis is on track to return from his abdominal strain and make his Mavericks debut on Saturday, having been officially listed as probable to play in Dallas vs. the Rockets.

As Tim MacMahon of ESPN details, it’s expected to be a charged environment in Dallas, where a protest is planned from fans angry about the decision to trade away franchise player Luka Doncic. Davis said on Friday that he “can’t control” how fans will react, but that he understands why they’re upset about the trade.

“Obviously it’s a business, and I get who Luka was to this franchise, to the city,” Davis said. “I’m never going to downplay that — just how I know what I meant to the city of L.A. So I’m not surprised by the fans’ reaction and the city’s reaction, but it’s my job to come in and play basketball and do what I’m supposed to do and give the fans hope and reassurance on why [general manager] Nico [Harrison] brought me here.

“…I understand who Luka is and what he’s able to do and what he’s already done for our game. He’s a phenomenal player, going to be one of the best to ever play the game of basketball. But to have Nico trade for me just shows his belief in me and what I can do on the floor. It’s my job to produce every night and have Mavs nation believe that as well. So I’m excited for the challenge.”

While it’s no surprise that some Mavs fans have handled news of the Doncic/Davis trade poorly, “lines have been crossed,” according to MacMahon, who said during a TV appearance (Twitter video link) that Harrison has received threats and faced racial epithets.

Sources tell MacMahon that the team has beefed up security for Saturday’s contest and that Harrison – who has employed his own personal security – won’t be in his usual seat for the game.

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said on Thursday that he envisions a starting lineup that features P.J. Washington at small forward and Davis at power forward alongside a center (Twitter link via Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News). When Dereck Lively is healthy, he may be the team’s starting five, but until then, Daniel Gafford will likely get that assignment. Washington, who has missed the past three games due to right knee soreness and personal reasons, is off the injury report and should be available on Saturday.
Rockets officials expressed for months leading up to Thursday’s deadline that they planned to stick with their current roster making than making any major in-season deals and they stuck to that plan this week, as Kelly Iko of The Athletic writes. Reports have suggested Houston wants to see how its young core performs in the postseason before making any major roster decisions — head coach Ime Udoka reiterated that point on Thursday. “We like what we have,” Udoka said. “We’ve been doing OK and feel we can do a lot better. (We) want to continue to grow as a group, watch our young guys develop, play in big situations and see what we have.”
Citing team and league sources, Iko reports that the Rockets received calls this week on Jae’Sean Tate, Jock Landale, Aaron Holiday, and Steven Adams, all of whom are on expiring or pseudo-expiring contracts. However, Houston didn’t feel compelled to make any move that would compromise the team’s depth, according to Iko, who says Tate generated the most interest of those four players.
De’Aaron Fox‘s 24-point, 13-assist Spurs debut on Wednesday in a tight win over Atlanta provided a compelling case for the star guard’s fit in San Antonio, writes ESPN’s Michael C. Wright. “Selfishly, as a coach, I think that’s probably about as complete of a game you’d hope for the first game,” acting head coach Mitch Johnson said. “You saw the potential. It’s tantalizing. He’s dynamic. He’s going to unlock a whole different element for our team.”

Southwest Notes: Fox, Mavericks, Gafford, Murphy, Murray

February 5th, 2025 at 5:47pm CST by Arthur Hill

Hours before making his Spurs debut tonight in Atlanta, De’Aaron Fox already seemed comfortable with his new team, writes Michael C. Wright of ESPN. San Antonio was Fox’s preferred destination when he informed the Kings that he wasn’t interested in extending his contract beyond 2026. At this morning’s shootaround, Fox talked about the chance to team up with Victor Wembanyama and join an organization loaded with young talent.

“It’s a very unique opportunity,” he said. “Not many guys come around like that. And I think it’s not just him, but everybody else. With the way they’re built, with the athleticism, with the length that they have and also the youth, I just felt like this could be a special team. I felt like the fit would be spectacular, and I feel like I have a lot of years left to play. Some people say you kind of expedited [San Antonio’s development] process. But you look at a team like [Oklahoma City], where outside of Shai (Gilgeous-Alexander) and I think outside of (Alex Caruso), everybody else is pretty much on a rookie contract. I feel like we can do the same thing.”

Fox will now be an important part of that equation. He received a text from a member of the Spurs’ organization on Monday talking about the need to overcome “dry spells” as the team’s offense bogged down during a loss to Memphis. Fox is regularly one of the league’s best crunch-time scorers, which will be a welcome addition to a San Antonio team that’s just 9-11 in clutch games this season.

“Excited to see what it looks like,” new teammate Chris Paul said. “I’ve known Fox for a while. To get a chance to play alongside him, it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

The Mavericks are offering refunds to angry fans who canceled their season tickets over the Luka Doncic trade, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN. Several fans staged a protest Sunday outside American Airlines Center, with some holding up signs criticizing general manager Nico Harrison.
Mavericks center Daniel Gafford was able to practice today after hurting his shoulder in Tuesday’s game at Philadelphia, tweets Tim Bontemps of ESPN. “I’m fine. It was just obviously a scare,” he told Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). “It was probably one of the worst stingers that I’ve had coming down this stretch. But it’s OK. Kind of like a shooting pain down my arm last night so it scared me because I didn’t want it to be more of a major injury than what I was expecting. It was just a regular old stinger, so I’ll be fine.”
Trey Murphy has become the second player in Pelicans history to reach 40 points in two straight games, notes Rod Walker of NOLA. He scored 24 points in the third quarter Monday night, which ties a franchise record for most points in a quarter.
Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray posted a photo from his hospital bed after undergoing surgery for a torn Achilles tendon (Twitter link). “Thank you God for a successful surgery,” Murray wrote. “Road to recovery starts now.”

Inside The Stunning Luka Doncic/Anthony Davis Trade

February 2nd, 2025 at 11:04am CST by Rory Maher

Luka Doncic “was completely floored” when he learned that he had been traded to the Lakers, league sources tell Dallas-based NBA insider Marc Stein (Substack link).

Stein reiterates that Doncic did not request to be traded and confirms reporting from ESPN that the Mavericks had reservations about giving the Slovenian star a five-year, super-max extension in the offseason due to his “conditioning, ability to stay healthy and his off-court commitments to those pursuits.”

In an appearance on SportsCenter last night (YouTube link), ESPN’s Brian Windhorst called the trade a “rebuke” of Doncic from the Mavericks’ perspective. While the primary focus from people around the league has been on Dallas’ end of the deal, Windhorst says LeBron James has “dreamed” of playing with Doncic, though it’s unclear how he feels about the move, given his close relationship with Anthony Davis.

As Stein writes, there had been whispers in the week leading up to perhaps the most shocking trade in NBA history that the Mavs were on the verge of making a deal, but rival teams weren’t sure what they were planning. General manager Nico Harrison has a preexisting relationship with Davis and zeroed in on the 10-time All-Star as an ideal return package for Doncic.

According to Stein, Harrison “essentially” only had the Lakers in mind as a trade partner, in large part due to Davis. That choice of wording is interesting, because league sources tell Sam Amick of The Athletic that “at least one other team” was approached by Dallas nearly two weeks ago about the prospect of trading Doncic for a different star. That offer was declined.

Amick’s story has several sourced details, particularly from the Lakers’ end. According to Amick, Lakers leadership has grown weary of James and Davis’ continual public requests for more on-court help. Amick also hears Los Angeles had concerns about Davis’ “durability and availability and a belief that he could never truly be counted on as a top option” going forward.

In a fascinating interview with Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News, Harrison said he approached Lakers head of basketball operations Rob Pelinka more than a month ago to have “basketball” conversations. Harrison noted that the two have known each other for a couple of decades from their previous jobs, when Harrison was a Nike executive and Pelinka was a player agent.

“Then all of a sudden we’re like, ‘Would you ever do this?’

‘Nah, you’re joking, right?’

‘Hmm. Interesting. Maybe I would.’

“And then it just built over time over the last three weeks,” Harrison told Townsend.

Harrison admitted Doncic’s contract situation was a primary motivating factor in making the trade. Doncic will no longer be eligible for an extension worth 35% of the salary cap this summer after being moved; the most he can make now is 30%.

“We really feel like we got ahead of what was going to be a tumultuous summer, him being eligible for the super-max and also a year away from him being able to opt out of any contract,” Harrison said. “And so we really felt like we got out in front of that. We know teams, they’ve had it out there, teams have been loading up to try to sign him once that comes available.”

He also said he hasn’t had direct communication with Doncic since the news broke, having talked to his agent Bill Duffy. His text and phone call to Doncic went unanswered, with Harrison telling Townsend, “My guess is he probably doesn’t want to talk to me.”

Davis has publicly said multiple times he views himself as more of a power forward rather than a center. Harrison told Townsend that while Davis will likely finish games in the middle, he will also play alongside Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively when the latter returns from an ankle fracture, pointing to Cleveland (Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen) as an example of a two-big pairing that has been successful.

Here’s more on the blockbuster trade:

James has a full no-trade clause, but both Stein and Amick write that the four-time MVP must be evaluating whether he’s still determined to finish his career in Los Angeles after the trade. According to Amick, there was an expectation that James would decline his $52.6MM player option for ’25/26 in the offseason to seek another contract, but it’s unclear if the Lakers would be willing to offer it.
Sources tell Stein (Twitter link) that the first time Harrison and Pelinka talked about trading Doncic for Davis was in person on January 7, when the Lakers were in Dallas to play the Mavs. League insider Chris Haynes hears the Lakers contacted Davis’ agent Rich Paul sometime after they heard the offer, viewing Doncic as a long-term replacement for James (Twitter video link).
After the trade was completed, Pelinka made three phone calls, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin (Twitter links): the first was a joint call with Davis and head coach JJ Redick; the second a call to Paul; and the third to James. McMenamin also hears from sources that Davis chose to waive his trade kicker for multiple reasons, one being that he wants to sign an extension with Dallas in the future.
According to Stein, Doncic had been targeting February 8 as his return date from a left calf strain prior to the trade. The five-time All-NBA guard has been out with the injury since Christmas.
Doncic’s now-former teammate Kyrie Irving was also “stunned” by the deal that will send Davis, Max Christie and the Lakers’ 2029 first-round pick to the Mavericks, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN reports (via Twitter).
Both the Lakers and Mavericks are expected to continue to be active in trade talks leading up to Thursday’s deadline, according to Stein, Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press and Christian Clark of The Athletic (Twitter links). “Everybody knows the Lakers are trying to do more even after this,” a source told Reynolds.
In a full story for The Athletic, Clark takes a look at Harrison’s history of making major roster moves at three consecutive deadlines. John Hollinger of The Athletic views the trade as a potential disaster for the Mavs, given the ages and injury histories of Irving and Davis. Hollinger also speculates that Doncic could sign a short-term extension with the Lakers in the offseason in order to maximize his future earnings, a possibility Bobby Marks of ESPN (YouTube link) discussed as well.
Mavs fans were understandably heartbroken by the trade, writes Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News. “I’m hoping to wake up from a bad dream,” one fan said. “You have the most talented Mavericks team in Mavericks history and you have Luka right here. It’s like, ‘Boom.’ We just went to the finals, we finally get this team around him, it’s all right here, and then you trade him? It’s the biggest joke ever.”

Mavs’ Lively Has Fracture In Ankle, Expected To Miss 2-3 Months

January 22nd, 2025 at 4:42pm CST by Luke Adams

4:42pm: Lively suffered a stress fracture in his right ankle and will be reevaluated in four weeks, the Mavericks announced (via Twitter).

12:20pm: Mavericks center Dereck Lively has been diagnosed with a small fracture in his right foot and is expected to be sidelined for the next two-to-three months, reports Shams Charania of ESPN.

Lively has missed the past three games due to an injury he suffered last Tuesday vs. Denver that was initially listed as a right ankle sprain. Further testing revealed the fracture in that foot, sources tell Charania.

It’s a brutal blow for a Mavericks team that is already dealing with a series of injuries to key players, starting with top scorer Luka Doncic, who has been out since Christmas Day due to a calf strain.

Dante Exum (right wrist surgery) has yet to make his season debut, while Jaden Hardy (right ankle sprain) and Dwight Powell (right hip strain) are also currently unavailable. Kyrie Irving recently missed several games due to a back ailment and a handful of other Mavs are battling day-to-day issues. After starting the season 20-11, Dallas has lost nine of its last 12 games.

Lively was a key part of the Mavs’ early-season success. His +8.1 net rating in 768 minutes of action is the second-best mark on the team, behind only Doncic (+9.9 in 785 minutes). The second-year center, who will turn 21 next month, has averaged 9.1 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.7 blocks in 24.0 minutes per night across 32 games (25 starts).

In Lively’s absence, the Mavs figure to lean more heavily on Daniel Gafford, who has split center minutes with Lively since arriving in Dallas at last year’s trade deadline. A recent report indicated that the club had been willing to discuss Gafford as it sought an impact perimeter defender, but I imagine that will no longer be the case.

Maxi Kleber and Powell are among the Mavs’ other options up front, with P.J. Washington also seeing some time as a small-ball center.

If Lively is able to make it back on the court within two or two-and-a-half months, he should be available for the end of the regular season and all of the postseason. If his recovery timeline is closer to three months – or beyond – he won’t have a chance to return until the playoffs, assuming the Mavs make it. They’re currently seventh in the West, with a 23-20 record.

Mavericks Notes: Injuries, Irving, Gafford, Exum, Washington

January 20th, 2025 at 8:41pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The shorthanded Mavericks lost to Charlotte, 110-105, on Monday afternoon and have now lost nine of their last 12 games, all with Luka Doncic sidelined by a calf strain.

Dereck Lively (right ankle sprain) was downgraded from questionable to out earlier in the day, while Quentin Grimes (back spasms) was a late scratch, Grant Afseth of the Dallas Hoops Journal notes. Jaden Hardy (right ankle sprain), Dwight Powell (right hip strain) and Dante Exum (right wrist surgery) have been out for an extended period.

“It would be nice at this point in the season to have everyone healthy,” said Kyrie Irving, who recently returned from a back injury. “I’ve missed 10 games, and that’s not something I set as a goal for myself coming into the season. I want to play as many games as possible. But with my MRI coming back on my back and D. Live going down, Luka going down, J. Hardy going down, and other people missing games, it’s unfortunate.”

We have more on the Mavericks:

Daniel Gafford‘s career-high 31 points, 15 rebounds, and seven blocks went to waste on Monday. “Yeah, I’m frustrated when you get a game like that, but you don’t come out with a win,” Gafford said after the game, per Afseth. “It’s pretty frustrating, but I don’t really want to, you know, be too selfish. You know, I felt like we did a lot of things great out there on the floor to put us in a position to win the game.” The team is reportedly willing to trade Gafford for a top-level perimeter defender.
Speaking of Exum, coach Jason Kidd said the veteran guard has been shooting, but he’s “still a ways away” before a timetable can be established regarding a return to action, Afseth tweets. Exum has yet to make his season debut after appearing in 55 regular season games last season. He underwent his wrist surgery in October.
P.J. Washington is averaging 32.5 minutes per game, more than any other Dallas player not named Doncic or Irving. Washington’s defensive versatility is an essential element, Christian Clark of The Athletic writes. He’ll continue to draw the toughest assignments, even if the front office makes a trade to improve the perimeter defense. “I feel like I can guard anybody,” Washington said. “I feel like I’m comfortable guarding smalls, bigs, it doesn’t really matter.”

Stein’s Latest: Butler, Beal, Okogie, C. Johnson, Mavericks

January 20th, 2025 at 9:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Jimmy Butler‘s return from his seven-game suspension hasn’t changed the Heat‘s desire to work out a trade before the February 6 deadline, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack column (subscription required).

Butler was back in the starting lineup and played 33 and 28 minutes as Miami split a pair of weekend games, but concerns remain that the relationship will continue to deteriorate if he’s still on the roster past the deadline. Sources tell Stein that the Heat are “exploring every potential pathway” to assemble a multi-team trade to get Butler off their roster.

The Suns remain Butler’s preferred location, but it’s not clear that Phoenix is eager to pursue him or that it has enough assets left to make a competitive offer, Stein adds. Phoenix gave up three second-round picks and got one in return in last week’s trade for Nick Richards. That leaves the Suns with just their 2031 first-rounder and a 2025 second-rounder from Denver to offer in any deal.

The Raptors have been mentioned as a team that might be interested in helping to facilitate a Butler trade, and Stein says a well-placed source told him that “about half the league” has expressed similar sentiments to Miami. He cites the Timberwolves as another club that might be willing to help the Heat move Butler on to his next location in exchange for other assets.

Stein shares more inside information from around the NBA:

League sources confirmed to Stein a report that Butler’s camp hasn’t told the Bucks not to pursue a deal. However, he believes Milwaukee might be more interested in reviving its previous interest in Suns guard Bradley Beal if it’s going to add a player in that salary range. Stein points out that the Bucks can’t trade for either player without dropping below the second apron, which would likely mean trading Pat Connaughton‘s $9.4MM contract without taking back any salary in return.
Some rival teams are questioning why the Hornets were willing to take on extra salary in the Richards trade while only netting two second-round picks, Stein adds. Charlotte acquired Josh Okogie at $8.3MM while parting with Richards’ $5MM contract, a move that will save the Suns more than $20MM in luxury tax. Stein speculates that the Hornets may have another move planned involving Okogie before the deadline.
Stein hears that the Nets don’t feel an urgency to trade Cameron Johnson because they’ve already weakened their team enough for tanking purposes by unloading Dennis Schröder and Dorian Finney-Smith. Brooklyn is just 4-13 since sending Schröder to Golden State and has moved into sixth in the race for the best lottery odds.
Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison is typically active at the deadline, but Stein doesn’t believe the team’s injury woes will force him into a move. “We look at everything,” Harrison said in a recent interview with Dalton Trigg for his Mavs Step Back Substack (subscription required), “but we’re not going to be reactionary to a short-term injury.”
Discussing the Mavericks, Stein also writes that it would be a “misnomer” to suggest Dallas is shopping center Daniel Gafford. However, he didn’t outright dispute a previous report stating that the Mavs have been willing to discuss the big man.

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