Prior to that, Gafford was scheduled to play in Boston on February 9, but he had already been traded from Washington to Dallas the day before.
After Dallas training at TD Garden, Boston's Daniel Gafford waded across the hardwood floor with a grin extending across his face and wearing royal blue stockings that clung to his tree-tree tree limbs on Wednesday afternoon. Gafford, the Mavericks ' starting center for the entire NBA Finals run, played less than six days for the Mavs in a March 1 game against the Celtics.
Gafford's previous scheduled date for Feb. 9 was also scheduled to be played in Boston, but the day when served as the team's monthly trade deadline, which caused him to fall from grace with the Celtics and Washington. " What's crazy … we were genuinely headed here to enjoy Boston", Gafford said.
The 6- feet- 10 facility out of Arkansas had driven to Washington's training center in east D. C. that Thursday afternoon, having heard his name on the trade block since mid- December. Before acquiring Steven Adams from Memphis, the Rockets were attempting to improve their core place. New York, for a time, made calling to rival groups, according to league resources, in the first fallout of Mitchell Robinson needing knee operation. Dallas, nevertheless, seemed to emphasize Gafford throughout the prospect- up to the deadline's 3 p. m. ET alarm. " I think this was the only one that was the primary goal for me", Gafford said.
Yet there was suspicion around NBA top offices that the Wizards may eventually shift Gafford, not to mention another Washington starters like point safeguard Tyus Jones and scoring wing Kyle Kuzma. According to sources, the Wizards ' respective asking prices for each of their veterans were much higher than those of their rival rivals. Dallas was also involved in dialogue, according to league personnel, about potentially landing Kuzma.
Will Dawkins, the Wizards ' general manager, called Gafford while he was idling in the parking lot.
" There's a possibility you'll be going to Dallas", Gafford recalled the Wizards executive saying.
Gafford understood this nature of the business. After the Bulls team selected him in the second round of the 2019 NBA Draft, the team that selected him for a three-team trade deadline in 2021 decided to move him to Washington. Gafford told Dawkins to let him know what the outcome of this latest deadline brought, and in the interim, he waited in his car. Thirty minutes later, Dawkins dialed back. After Dallas managed to send an OKC first-round pick to the Mavericks, the deal was indeed going to go wrong.
" When it comes to the emotions, when it comes to getting traded, you could be mad, you could be happy", Gafford said. " I did n't really have a crazy reaction to it, because I've been in this situation before. So I simply stated that one door was shut and the other door opened for me.
In his very first game with the Mavericks, a 35-point victory over the Thunder team that allowed his trade and that Dallas would eventually lose in the postseason's second round, Gafford realized quite clearly how open the door could swing for him when setting the screens for Luka Doni. With his long arms giving him an enormous catch area to finish tosses around the rim, Gafford leaps like a pogo stick. " When he threw the first lob to me, the crowd went crazy", Gafford said. He was immediately brought back to Bud Walton Arena, where Gafford played home games for the Razorbacks, by American Airlines Center. " Being in an atmosphere like that, with just love and energy throughout the arena", said Gafford, who claimed the starting spot March 7 and has n't looked back," I feel like that's something I've missed throughout my career, for sure".
This TD Garden crowd will present a far more hostile environment. However, this Finals matchup for Gafford has another well-known aspect that should allow him to feel at home anchoring Dallas ' new defensive identity. Kristaps Porziņģis, Boston's interminable center, overlapped with Gafford for a season and a half with the Wizards after Dallas traded the former All- Star to the nation's capital and before Porziņģis departed for the Celtics last summer.
Every day they engaged in combat. They started together in Washington's frontcourt. " He used to always give me pointers", Gafford said. " He was one of the guys who used to always motivate me when it came to things I did on the floor". For all the discussion of the greater spacing Boston's five- out lineup will present for the Mavericks ' defense, particularly with Porziņģis back from a calf injury, Gafford is more than prepared for that particular assignment. He knows Porzingis ' tendencies.
" When you crawl into his airspace, he still shoots over you", Gafford said. And there's one trick in Porziņģis ' bag Gafford knows not to fall for. Just make sure you do n't act aggressively while he sweeps through your move.
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