Daniel Gafford is expected to make his season debut against the Pistons

The Dallas Mavericks are set to receive a major boost to his frontcourt as a center Daniel Gafford is expected to make his season debut Saturday night against the Detroit Pistons in Mexico City. The matchup, scheduled for 10:00 PM ET on Peacock and Telemundo, marks the second international game of the NBA’s 2025 Global Games series.

According to Christian Clark of the Athletics, Gafford will return to action after missing the Mavericks’ first five games of the season with a sprained right ankle suffered during training camp. “Daniel Gafford will make his season debut tonight,” Clarke reported on X, formerly known as Twitter. “He landed on Anthony Davis’ foot during training camp. He missed the first five games of the season with a sprained right ankle.”

Gafford’s return comes at a critical time for Dallas, which will be without its All-Star forward Anthony Davis after suffering a calf strain earlier this week during the team’s 107-105 victory over the Indiana Pacers. Davis exited the game in the first quarter after just seven minutes of play, finishing with four points, four rebounds and a steal before being ejected.

The return of Daniel Gafford is expected to bolster the Mavericks’ frontcourt ahead of the matchup against the Pistons

Through five appearances this season, Davis is averaging 20.8 points, 10.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.2 blocks per game while shooting 52 percent from the field. The The Mavericks expect him to miss at least two games — Saturday’s contest against the Pistons and Monday’s matchup with the Houston Rockets.

Gafford (27) averaged a career-best 12.3 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game last season, while shooting 70.2 percent from the field in 57 games. His energy, edge protection and pick-and-roll finishing ability were key to Dallas’ frontcourt depth during the second half of the 2024-25 campaign.

With Davis out, Gafford is expected to start alongside rookie Cooper Flagg and PJ Washington, forming one of the tallest and most athletic front lines in the league. Coach Jason Kidd stressed the importance of maintaining defensive intensity and rebounding in Davis’ absence, which makes Gafford’s return especially significant.

The Mavericks (2-3) will look to build on Wednesday’s win over Indiana as they face the Pistons (3-2), who are led by All-Stars Cade Cunningham and Ausar Thompson. Saturday’s contest will mark Dallas’ first regular-season international game since 2019.