Following two collegiate seasons at Arkansas, Gafford was selected with the 38th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft by the Bulls. He made his NBA debut Oct. 26 against the Raptors, grabbing one rebound in two minutes. Overall, he appeared in 43 out of a possible 65 games during the coronavirus-shortened season. Gafford averaged 5.1 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 14.2 minutes per contest. He shot an impressive 70.1 percent from the field and 53.3 percent from the charity stripe. On Nov. 18, Gafford scored a season-high 21 points (10-12 FG, 1-2 FT) and added five boards and two blocks in 20 minutes of play during a home loss to the Bucks. On Dec. 13, the rookie blocked a season-high six shots versus Charlotte. Gafford had seven performances with double-digit points, four performances with at least five rebounds and four performances with multiple assists. He also racked up five games with at least three blocks. In the 11 games that Gafford saw at least 20 minutes, he averaged 9.9 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.3 blocks. In November, Gafford also played three G League games for the Windy City Bulls, during which he averaged 16.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.7 blocks and 2.0 steals per contest.