Dallas, TX
Dallas Mavericks receive grim news on starting center’s latest injury
The hits just keep on coming for the Dallas Mavericks, especially with their center rotations. Daniel Gafford went down with an injury in Monday’s loss to the Sacramento Kings, and the initial diagnosis was that he would be re-evaluated in two weeks, but that timeline has seen a massive change.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported after Thursday’s win over the Miami Heat that Gafford has sustained a Grade 3 MCL sprain and is expected to miss “at least” six weeks. This leaves Dallas’ center rotation as a major question mark once they come out of the All-Star break next week.
Dallas Mavericks center Daniel Gafford has sustained a Grade 3 right MCL sprain and will miss at least 6 weeks, sources tell me and @espn_macmahon. Gafford, Anthony Davis and Dereck Lively II now expected to be out significant stretches of the second half of the season. pic.twitter.com/FJxd2xK9NY
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 14, 2025
READ MORE: Depleted Mavericks overcome Tyler Herro’s 40 points, defeat Heat 118-113
Dereck Lively II will be out until close to the start of the postseason with a stress fracture in his ankle, Anthony Davis could be out a similar timeframe with a left adductor strain, and Dwight Powell is dealing with a right hip strain, but his estimated return is unknown. Adding Gafford to the mix of centers that are out for the foreseeable future will make it difficult for Dallas to defend against certain lineups as they try to make another late-season push.
If that estimation of six weeks starts when the report is made, that would put Gafford coming back sometime in late March with about nine games remaining. Dallas may or may not still be in the playoff/play-in mix at that time.
In the meantime, players like P.J. Washington, Kessler Edwards, and Olivier-Maxence Prosper will have to split time as centers unless they can find a player on a two-way contract who is better than Kylor Kelley.
READ MORE: Luka Doncic’s father says that his son has already moved on from Mavericks-Lakers trade
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Dallas, TX
Dallas Cowboys 2026 NFL Draft debate heats up
Jeff Kolb and Sam Gannon welcome Cowboys insiders Clarence Hill (All City Dallas) and Calvin Watkins (Dallas Morning News) for a hilarious breakdown of the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft. Giving insight, arguments, and plenty of laughs as two of the best Dallas Cowboys writers in the business go head-to-head on what Dallas should do next.
Dallas, TX
New video of Lake Dallas explosion draws focus on order decades ago to remove old plastic pipes
Dallas, TX
Dallas Mavericks Owners Might Be Making Big Mistake in Search for New GM
The search for the next general manager or president of basketball operations of the Dallas Mavericks has begun. They terminated Nico Harrison in November, which was about nine months too late, and gave any available candidates clear notice that they were open for business.
The plan was always to wait until after the season to start the search. While names popped up as the season reached an end, they didn’t begin turning over the staff until the Monday after the season ended. However, Dallas Mavericks fans are not going to like how the team is going about the search.
Patrick Dumont Leading Search for General Manager
NBA insider Jake Fischer reported that the Mavericks are not hiring a search firm in their hunt for a new lead executive. Instead, team governor Patrick Dumont is “acting as his own point person.”
This is an… interesting decision, to say the least. Dumont is not a basketball person whatsoever, and most organizations usually hire a search firm. The Chicago Bulls hired one as they look for their replacement for Arturas Karnisovas. Just because a firm is hired doesn’t mean a team will listen, though.
The Mavericks hired a firm in their last search for a GM. They let Donnie Nelson go in 2021 after a long tenure with the Mavs. Instead of listening to the firm, though, Mark Cuban ignored it to hire Nico Harrison, who had no previous NBA front office experience. Harrison had been an executive with Nike, which gave him connections with players like Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis, and plenty of others.
For a while, that seemed to be working out okay. While he still had some questionable transactions, such as trading for Christian Wood and letting Jalen Brunson walk in free agency, they were still able to make a run to the NBA Finals in 2024. Then, he blew it all up, trading away Luka Doncic for an older and injured Anthony Davis, and the team hasn’t been the same since.
It’s imperative that the Mavericks get this hire correct. The interim Co-GM setup with Matt Riccardi and Michael Finley has performed admirably, but the 2026 NBA Draft is important for the Mavs to get right. It’s their best chance to pair Cooper Flagg with another young star, as they don’t own their first-round pick again until 2031 after this.
Hiring the right GM could help bring in more draft capital by bringing in bad contracts or flipping veterans into picks.
Dumont was able to convince Rick Welts, a Hall of Famer, to come out of retirement to be the CEO and lead the charge for a new arena. Maybe Dumont pulls another rabbit out of his hat for the GM.
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