Injury Impacting Mavericks’ Training Camp

Daniel Gafford’s initial training camp practice with the Dallas Mavericks was cut short due to an injury. He sprained his ankle during the first session in Vancouver, and coach Jason Kidd announced that Gafford will be out of action for two to three weeks. This setback raises concerns about his participation in the season opener against the San Antonio Spurs on October 22.

Gafford, who recently celebrated his 27th birthday, will miss the remainder of training camp and preseason games. Last season, he had a standout year with the Mavericks, averaging 12.3 points and 6.8 rebounds in 21.5 minutes per game, with a shooting accuracy of over 70%. He had also signed a three-year, $54 million extension with the team earlier this year. Gafford shared the starting role with Dereck Lively but missed parts of the previous season due to an MCL sprain.

Team Challenges and Draft Success

Last season was turbulent for the Mavericks following a high-profile trade that sent Luka Dončić to another team in exchange for Anthony Davis. The team faced numerous injuries, including to star Kyrie Irving, who is still recovering from a torn ACL. The Mavericks finished with a 39-43 record, missing the playoffs for the first time in recent years. Despite these setbacks, Dallas won the NBA Draft lottery and selected Duke standout Cooper Flagg with the top overall pick.

Additional Injuries and Outlook

Meanwhile, forward P.J. Washington missed practice on Wednesday after a collision during drills. He was seen colliding with Jaden Hardy on Tuesday, but coach Kidd remains optimistic about his return later this week. Washington, who averaged 14.7 points and 7.8 rebounds last season, had recently signed a four-year, $90 million contract extension with the Mavericks.