Mavericks' Daniel Gafford Out 2-3 Weeks

Dallas Mavericks center Daniel Gafford sprained his ankle during the opening practice of training camp and is expected to be sidelined two to three weeks, coach Jason Kidd said, putting his availability for the Oct. 22 season opener against the San Antonio Spurs in doubt. The injury compounds an early-camp health list that includes P.J. Washington bumping his head (expected to be available soon), Brandon Williams' one-week hamstring strain, and Dante Exum missing practices for an undisclosed reason. Gafford, who signed a three-year, $54 million extension this summer, also missed the end of last season with a Grade 3 MCL sprain, raising concerns about frontcourt depth. With Kyrie Irving still recovering from a torn ACL and the Mavericks coming off an injury-plagued 2024-25 campaign that cost them a playoff spot, Dallas will likely lean more on Dereck Lively II and bench veterans like Dwight Powell while Gafford recovers. The two- to three-week timeframe lines up with the preseason finale on Oct. 15, so he could miss preseason games even if he returns before the regular season.