Mavericks' Daniel Gafford: Capped at 17 minutes in debut
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Gafford (ankle) registered seven points (2-3 FG, 3-3 FT), four rebounds and three assists in 17 minutes in Saturday's 122-110 loss to the Pistons in Mexico City.
Cleared to make his season debut Saturday after missing Dallas' first five games due to a right ankle sprain, Gafford entered the starting five while the Mavericks were without both Dereck Lively (knee) and Anthony Davis (calf). However, head coach Jason Kidd said prior to the contest that Gafford would be limited to 15-to-18 minutes Saturday, and Kidd ended up sticking to his word. Despite the light playing time, Gafford was productive enough during his time on the court and could see his minutes pick up in subsequent contests, especially if Dallas remains without Lively and Davis. Gafford profiles as a decent streaming option for field-goal percentage, rebounds and blocks whenever he's in line for meaningful minutes.
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Mavericks' Daniel Gafford: Starting Saturday
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Gafford will start Saturday's game against the Pistons despite being limited to 15-18 minutes.
Gafford is making his season debut Saturday after being sidelined to start the season due to an ankle injury. The center will draw the start despite being under a significant minutes restriction. Anthony Davis (calf) and Dereck Lively (knee) are both inactive Saturday, meaning Dwight Powell should see plenty of run as Gafford's primary backup.
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Mavericks' Daniel Gafford: Will be limited Saturday
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Head coach Jason Kidd said Gafford (ankle) will be limited to 15-18 minutes in Saturday's game against the Pistons, Christian Clark of The Athletic reports.
Gafford will make his season debut after dealing with a sprained right ankle. However, the Mavericks will ease him back into action. With Gafford on a minutes restriction and both Anthony Davis (calf) and Dereck Lively (knee) sidelined, Dwight Powell will likely see a bump in minutes.
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Mavericks' Daniel Gafford: Will play Saturday
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Gafford (ankle) will play in Saturday's game against the Pistons, Christian Clark of The Athletic reports.
Gafford will make his season debut after missing the team's first five regular-season games due to a sprained right ankle. It wouldn't be surprising if the Mavericks ease him back into action, though he'll likely get the starting nod with Anthony Davis (calf) and Dereck Lively (knee) sidelined.
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Mavericks' Daniel Gafford: Questionable for Saturday
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Gafford (ankle) is questionable for Saturday's game in Detroit.
This is the first time this season Gafford is getting hit with the questionable tag, and they sure could use him with Anthony Davis (calf) going down. He'll likely be eased back into things if he's cleared for Saturday's game, but his return would mean fewer minutes for Dwight Powell.
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Mavericks' Daniel Gafford: Won't play Wednesday
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Gafford (ankle) will remain on the sidelines for Wednesday's game against the Pacers, Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star reports.
Gafford was doubtful, so it's not surprising to see him get ruled out. With Dereck Lively (knee) set to join him on the sidelines Wednesday evening, P.J. Washington and Anthony Davis will get all the run they can handle.
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Mavericks' Daniel Gafford: Unlikely to play vs. Indiana
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Gafford (ankle) has been listed as doubtful for Wednesday's game against the Pacers.
Gafford is trending toward not playing Wednesday. The Arkansas product has yet to play a game during the 2025-26 campaign, as he continues to work his way back from an ankle injury.
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Mavericks' Daniel Gafford: Ruled out Monday
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Gafford (ankle) has been ruled out for Monday's game against the Thunder, Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal.com reports.
Gafford has yet to make his season debut while dealing with a sprained right ankle. With both him and Dereck Lively sidelined Monday, Dwight Powell should step in to provide frontcourt depth behind Anthony Davis. Gafford's next opportunity to return will come Wednesday against the Pacers.
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Mavericks' Daniel Gafford: Unlikely to play Sunday
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Gafford (ankle) is listed as doubtful for Sunday's game against the Raptors.
Gafford is likely to miss his third consecutive game to start the season due to a sprained right ankle. If the big man remains sidelined, Dereck Lively and Dwight Powell are candidates for a bump in minutes.
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Mavericks' Daniel Gafford: Questionable for Sunday
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Gafford (ankle) is questionable to play in Sunday's game against the Raptors, Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News reports.
Gafford has yet to play a game this season, as he continues to nurse an ankle injury. If he is unable to play for a third straight game, the team will likely continue to lean on Dereck Lively in the frontcourt.
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Mavericks' Daniel Gafford: Listed out with ankle sprain
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Gafford (ankle) is out for Friday's game against the Wizards.
After sitting out the morning shootaround, Gafford has been ruled out for a second straight game to open the season. The big man's next chance to play comes Sunday against the Raptors. With Gafford sidelined, Dereck Lively is locked in as the Mavericks' top center in a soft matchup against Washington.
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Mavericks' Daniel Gafford: Sits out shootaround
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Gafford (ankle) did not participate in shootaround Friday, Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal.com reports.
Gafford was walking around the practice in street clothes and tennis shoes, and that doesn't bode well for his status against the Wizards. He's listed as questionable on the injury report, which suggests that he's day-to-day, but it looks like the Mavericks will exercise caution once again.
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Mavericks' Daniel Gafford: Ruled out Wednesday
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Gafford (ankle) has been ruled out for Wednesday's game against the Spurs, Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News reports.
Gafford will miss the regular-season opener due to a right ankle sprain that kept him out of preseason action. Dereck Lively should handle the bulk of the work at center in Gafford's absence, with Dwight Powell serving as the backup five. Gafford's next chance to play will be Friday's game against the Wizards.
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Mavericks' Daniel Gafford: Remains doubtful for Opening Night
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Gafford (ankle) remains doubtful to play Opening Night against the Spurs on Wednesday, Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal.com reports.
During the portion of shootaround that was open to the media, Gafford was walking around in slides instead of shoes. He's listed as doubtful on the official injury report, and it's likely the Mavericks hold him out to be safe. Dereck Lively could have a higher floor in fantasy as a result.
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Mavericks' Daniel Gafford: Unlikely to play Wednesday
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Gafford (ankle) is doubtful to play in Wednesday's season opener against the Spurs.
Gafford is trending toward not playing the first game of the regular season as he continues to deal with an ankle issue. If he is ultimately ruled out, the team will likely lean heavily on Dereck Lively and Dwight Powell to pick up the slack in the frontcourt.
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Mavericks' Daniel Gafford: Questionable for Wednesday
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Gafford (ankle) will be listed as questionable for Wednesday's game against the Spurs, Christian Clark of The Athletic reports.
This was the expected injury designation for Gafford. The big man went through a partial practice Monday after doing some non-contact drills over the weekend. If Gafford's ankle responds well to the increased workload, he could get the green light to back up Dereck Lively at center for Opening Night.
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Mavericks' Daniel Gafford: Limited at practice
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Gafford (ankle) went through a partial practice Monday, Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News reports.
This is another step in the right direction after Gafford participated in some non-contact drills over the weekend. Coach Jason Kidd said Gafford looked good, but added that he will see how he responds overnight to the increased workload. For now, Gafford's status for Opening Night on Wednesday remains in the air.
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Mavericks' Daniel Gafford: Goes through non-contact work
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Gafford (ankle) participated in the non-contact portions of Saturday's practice, Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal.com reports.
Coach Jason Kidd said he was unsure of Gafford's status for Opening Night on Oct. 22, but he wasn't ready to rule him out. Gafford has been battling a sprained ankle since the first day of Dallas' training camp, but he appears to be trending in a positive direction.
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Mavericks' Daniel Gafford: Limited to individual work
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Gafford (ankle) was limited to individual work at Friday's practice, Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal.com reports.
Gafford remains restricted due to a sprained ankle, which he suffered during the first day of Dallas' training camp. If the big man cannot gain clearance before Wednesday's season opener against the Spurs, Dereck Lively would be in line for a heavier dose of playing time at center.
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Mavericks' Daniel Gafford: Suffers sprained ankle
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Gafford sprained his ankle in Tuesday's practice and will be out 2-to-3 weeks, Kevin Gray Jr. of AllDLLS.com reports.
Gafford rolled his ankle during the opening day of Dallas's training camp and will be sidelined for multiple weeks. The two-week mark lines up with the Mavericks' preseason finale against the Lakers on Oct. 15. If he's not healthy enough to face the Lakers, Gafford's next chance to play would be the team's regular-season opener Oct. 22 against the Spurs. While Gafford is sidelined, Dereck Lively could pick up a few more minutes, while Dwight Powell would likely see an increase in minutes off the bench.
