{"id":119701,"date":"2025-01-23T08:43:02","date_gmt":"2025-01-23T13:43:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=119701"},"modified":"2025-01-23T08:43:02","modified_gmt":"2025-01-23T13:43:02","slug":"the-knicks-have-a-misnomer-daniel-gafford-opportunity-to-solve-bench-woes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/01\/23\/the-knicks-have-a-misnomer-daniel-gafford-opportunity-to-solve-bench-woes\/","title":{"rendered":"The Knicks Have A ‘Misnomer’ Opportunity To Solve Bench Woes"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Dallas Mavericks<\/a> are reportedly exploring ways to upgrade their perimeter defense. General Manager Nico Harrison has emphasized<\/a> that while the team evaluates all options, they won\u2019t make reactionary moves due to short-term injuries. However, rumors linking center Daniel Gafford<\/a> to trade discussions have persisted. Although insider Marc Stein describes<\/a> it as a \u201cmisnomer\u201d to say Dallas is actively shopping Gafford, the big man has been mentioned in talks. Christian Clark of The Athletic<\/em> reported<\/a> earlier this month that Dallas is interested in acquiring a two-way player. This opens the door for teams like the New York Knicks<\/a> to explore creative trade options involving Daniel Gafford.<\/p>\n

The Knicks Have A ‘Misnomer’ Daniel Gafford Opportunity To Solve Bench Woes<\/h2>\n

The Knicks\u2019 Need for Bench Scoring<\/h3>\n

The Knicks face a glaring issue with their bench. Despite ranking eighth<\/a> in points per game, their bench unit ranks last<\/a> in scoring. Mitchell Robinson\u2019s<\/a> season-long ankle injury<\/a> has compounded the problem, leaving Precious Achiuwa<\/a> as Karl-Anthony Towns<\/a>\u2019 primary backup.<\/p>\n

Achiuwa has delivered solid defensive numbers, averaging 5.5 rebounds, 0.8 steals, and 0.8 blocks in 18 minutes. His per-36 averages are respectable, but the Knicks need more scoring punch. Gafford, a rim-running center with elite efficiency, could provide the offensive spark they need off the bench.<\/p>\n

Why Daniel Gafford Fits the Knicks<\/h3>\n

Gafford is averaging 12.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks on a remarkable 71.8% true shooting percentage in just 20.6 minutes. His ability to protect the rim and score efficiently in the paint makes him an ideal backup to Towns. He can also play alongside Towns in two-big lineups for added versatility. Towns is familiar with those from his Minnesota Timberwolves<\/a> days.<\/p>\n

By comparison, Robinson, a defensive specialist, averaged only 5.6 points last season. While Robinson provides strong interior defense, his injury history is a concern. He has played fewer than 65 games in four of his six NBA seasons.<\/p>\n

Trade Mechanics and Challenges<\/h3>\n

From a financial standpoint, Robinson\u2019s $14.31 million<\/a> cap hit is comparable to Gafford\u2019s $13.39 million<\/a> salary. However, both teams are near<\/a> critical salary cap thresholds. The Mavericks are close to the first apron, while the Knicks are just under the second apron.<\/p>\n

A straight swap involving Gafford and Robinson would not work under the NBA\u2019s trade rules, as it would push Dallas over the first apron. This necessitates the involvement of a third team to balance salaries and facilitate the trade.<\/p>\n

For instance, the Knicks could leverage Robinson\u2019s value to acquire an elite perimeter defender from another team to fit the Mavs needs. The Charlotte Hornets<\/a> just landed Josh Okogie<\/a>, a strong on-ball defender, in a trade<\/a> involving Nick Richards<\/a>. His trade restriction extends to only aggregated trades so he can be moved in straight-up swaps or with draft assets. There are other opportunities like this on the trade market.<\/p>\n

The Case for Moving Robinson<\/h3>\n

While Robinson is a valuable asset, his limited offensive production and injury history make him quite expendable. Acquiring Gafford addresses the Knicks\u2019 immediate need for bench scoring while maintaining defensive capabilities. Gafford\u2019s energy, athleticism, and efficiency would provide a significant upgrade in the second unit.<\/p>\n

The Knicks must also consider long-term reliability. Robinson\u2019s durability has been a recurring issue, while Gafford\u2019s impact in limited minutes suggests he can thrive in a consistent role.<\/p>\n

The Knicks Could Flip Robinson for Daniel Gafford to Bolster Title Chances.<\/h3>\n

The Knicks have a rare opportunity to solve their bench scoring woes by pursuing Daniel Gafford. While labeled a \u201cmisnomer,\u201d Gafford\u2019s availability could be the key to addressing New York\u2019s roster imbalance.<\/p>\n

By involving a third team to meet salary cap requirements, the Knicks could orchestrate a deal that improves both their bench production and playoff readiness. The end justifies the means, and in this case, the means involve taking advantage of Robinson’s trade appeal to acquire Gafford.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Dallas Mavericks are reportedly exploring ways to upgrade their perimeter defense. General Manager Nico Harrison has emphasized that while the team evaluates all options, they won\u2019t make reactionary moves due to short-term injuries. However, rumors linking center Daniel Gafford to trade discussions have persisted. Although insider Marc Stein describes it as a \u201cmisnomer\u201d to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5018,"featured_media":119704,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[62,1608,30,12,4721],"tags":[2975,1453,2236,213,3011,1616,4975,4745,1382,2978,3148,49742,49701],"class_list":["post-119701","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nba","category-basketball","category-mavericks","category-knicks","category-trade-rumors","tag-bench","tag-daniel-gafford","tag-josh-okogie","tag-karl-anthony-towns","tag-marc-stein","tag-mitchell-robinson","tag-nba-contracts","tag-nba-injuries","tag-nba-trade","tag-nick-richards","tag-precious-achiuwa","tag-salary-cap","tag-the-athletic"],"modified_by":"Frederick Okocha","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119701","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5018"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=119701"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119701\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":119705,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119701\/revisions\/119705"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/119704"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=119701"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=119701"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=119701"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}