Amid his trade speculation, Daniel Gafford has emerged as Cooper Flagg's ideal mentor as the 2025 No. 1 pick navigates a transition to the future of the Dallas Mavericks. After the overtime win against the Portland Trail Blazers, Flagg revealed Gafford's impact on his team in his rookie season. Now and then, Flagg has shown flashes of the star that the Mavs have envisioned him to be. However, on Monday, Flagg had a slow start in the first half. Gafford had a one-on-one conversation with the rookie during halftime, helping him unlock his potential in the second half.After the game, Cooper Flagg told reporters about the impact Gafford has had on him. "Gafford has been huge for me. He's just such a good guy off the court. Has a great personality, he’s a great person, he's somebody that I know I can go talk to about anything. He's given me really good advice throughout everything about staying present."Flagg's comments come at a time when Gafford has been a big part of the Mavericks' trade speculations for the February trade deadline. Several people, including Dallas reporter Marc Stein, have called the $14,386,320 Mavs player [per Spotrac] the most tradable asset on the team's roster. Since joining the Mavericks in the 2023-24 season, Gafford has been one of the crucial pieces for the team in their success. His impact on both ends, particularly the defensive end, has been massive. Last season, he averaged 12.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.9 blocks in just 21 minutes.The Mavericks are in desperate need to reinvent after the shocking Luka Doncic trade, and if Gafford could bring some crucial pieces, they might not shy away from taking the step. Cooper Flagg opens up about the early struggles of having big responsibilityWith Kyrie Irving potentially out for the season, Cooper Flagg was given the responsibility to start the Mavs' offense. However, playing the point guard didn't come easily for the No. 1 pick as he struggled early in the season. Jason Kidd later decided to put D'Angelo Russell in to take the point guard responsibility, which resulted in Flagg looking like his self. The Mavs rookie later said that he wasn't sure if he was ready for that role yet."I don't know if I was ready to handle that right off the bat," Flagg said. "I tried my best and that's not to say I can't go back to it and I can't work on it and get better. I think it's just worked out lately where it's been better to have somebody else help and relieve pressure. It doesn't mean I can't bring it up and initiate offense."Since giving up his point guard position, Cooper Flagg has averaged more points at a higher efficiency.