

The lights in the gym at W.H. Adamson High School in Oak Cliff aren’t half as bright as the American Airlines Center offers. And fewer than 100 fans were in the bleachers Sunday night.
Daniel Gafford couldn’t wait to play there regardless.
Wearing a gray durag, Gafford slipped on a red SwinCity League jersey after getting his ankle taped, then played seemingly carefree for the next 40 minutes before capping the evening by signing numerous autographs.
In truth, though, it has not quite been a carefree summer for the 27-year-old. Gafford, who is about to enter Year 1 of a three-year, $54 million contract extension, has been the subject of relentless trade speculation this summer.
After putting on a show for the Adamson crowd, which included an early 3-pointer as well as the usual alley-opp finishes and board work you would expect, Gafford spoke exclusively to DLLS Sports about his offseason, aspects of his game that he’s been working on and, yes, that pesky trade chatter.
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