Now 11 games below .500, the Philadelphia 76ers are in the middle of a rampant freefall. Their odds of making the playoffs are pretty slim, and there is little reason to believe that they can still turn their season around given their poor play since 2025 commenced and their litany of persistent injuries, especially to their stars.
Joel Embiid, who has missed the last eight games due to knee-related issues, is set to miss more games along the way due to some swelling therein. The 76ers are already thin at the frontcourt, and even Andre Drummond’s recent return from injury is inadequate to cover for the team’s issues inside the paint.
While it makes more sense for the front office to suspend making win-now moves until the offseason, they cannot just sleep on opportunities that may arise, especially when it comes to upgrading the backup center spot. Fortunately for them, the perfect player to fill the spot has now been made available for taking.
The 76ers should trade for Mavs big man Daniel Gafford
Daniel Gafford, a key player for Dallas this season and their starting center during last year’s Finals run, is now rumored to be available in trade talks. The Mavericks are seeking an upgrade in the position, especially with Dereck Lively II currently sidelined due to injury.
The 76ers should immediately jump in on what could be a bidding war for the 26-year-old’s services. Gafford, a career 71 percent shooter, is one of the league’s most efficient and explosive play finishers for quite some time now, and his youth bodes well for a team in dire need of such at the center position.
Philadelphia has to gun for a starting-caliber center to back Embiid up given that his nominal backup would be in line to start a lot of games due to the superstar’s constant injury-related absences. Gafford fits that billing snugly, as he has ample experience playing as a starter in both Washington and Dallas.
Gafford is also a relentless force on the boards thanks to his bounce and athleticism. Even better, he is not completely helpless when forced to latch onto perimeter players, making him an ideal fit in Nick Nurse’s switchy defensive schemes.
The Philadelphia 76ers undoubtedly have bigger fish to fry than make a win-now move amid a losing season, but trading for Daniel Gafford seems like an opportunity they cannot afford to entirely pass up on.