October 1, 2025
ANALYSISGafford 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.