We all know the Dallas Mavericks have mentioned they plan to pick Duke ahead Cooper Flagg within the 2025 NBA draft on June 25 and won’t entertain the opportunity of buying and selling away the No. 1 choose for a confirmed celebrity.
However what if a commerce provide landed on the desks of Mavericks common supervisor Nico Harrison and group governor Patrick Dumont that at the least pressured the group to briefly think about the choice … earlier than saying no?
With lower than a month earlier than the two-day draft (each nights at 8 ET on ABC and ESPN), we’re analyzing a few of the prospects for Flagg’s future within the professionals.
Earlier than touchdown the draft’s prime spot within the lottery, Dallas was already labeled as a group that might contend within the Western Convention subsequent season however provided that it had a wholesome roster. The addition of the No. 1 choose — a first-year expertise who has been the uncontested best choice for the previous 12 months — has solely heightened that.
Flagg would be a part of a Mavericks group that has 13 gamers underneath contract from this previous season’s roster, together with Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving, who has a participant possibility. Irving might be going to sit down out an prolonged time period as he recovers from a torn left ACL sustained in March.
Dallas has flexibility to make a commerce — if one materializes. Moreover the highest choose in June …
— The Mavericks have the Los Angeles Lakers’ unprotected first in 2029 and the flexibility to commerce their very own first in both 2031 or 2032. Additionally they have 10 gamers incomes between $2 million and $16 million, together with Klay Thompson, P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford.
— Flagg may very well be coming into as a star on a Mavericks roster that is brimming with proficient wings, however a franchise that’s $17 million over the luxurious tax and over each aprons. The Mavericks even have three tradeable first-round picks and two seconds.
— There may be the query of whether or not possession would approve buying and selling a No. 1 choose similar to Flagg for Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo and the 2 years left on his contract.
We requested our NBA insiders (Bobby Marks, Zach Kram, Kevin Pelton and Andre Snellings) to give you potential Flagg trades for the Mavericks’ prime choose, and the best to draft Flagg. Let’s dig into the offers, together with beginning with how the state of affairs in Dallas is wanting earlier than the draft.
Bounce to a group:
Dallas | San Antonio | Phoenix
Cleveland | L.A. Lakers | Chicago
How maintaining No. 1 choose performs into Mavs’ future
On Could 12, minutes after the Mavericks received the best to pick Flagg, there was hypothesis from group executives ESPN spoke to on whether or not the choose could be in play if a commerce materialized.
Why would not it contemplating Harrison’s aggressive nature in enterprise pursuits?
Since taking up basketball operations in June 2021, Harrison has made 16 trades and regularly looked for the best mixture of gamers to win a championship. None extra evident than swapping out Luka Doncic for Davis this previous February. The commerce has the Mavericks in a win-now mode contemplating Davis has three years left on his contract.
However as sources confirmed to ESPN, the Mavericks plan to pick Flagg and won’t entertain the opportunity of buying and selling away the choose for a confirmed celebrity.
Whereas there’s a temptation, particularly if a participant similar to Antetokounmpo have been obtainable in a commerce, the method by Dallas is wise from a roster-building standpoint.
Financially, Flagg’s four-year rookie contract is corresponding to a free agent signing the non-tax midlevel exception. His $13.8 million wage in Yr 1 is beneath the common participant wage.
With Davis and Irving on the roster subsequent season, swapping out Flagg’s wage for a participant incomes greater than $50 million makes little sense.
After which there’s the belief that first-round picks don’t change groups after their authentic contract expires. The Mavericks might have Flagg underneath contract for the subsequent 4 seasons and an extra 5. — Marks
Spurs transfer as much as construct frontcourt of the longer term
Dallas Mavericks get: 2025 No. 2 choose, 2025 No. 14 choose, 2027 Atlanta Hawks’ first-rounder, return of swap rights to Mavericks’ 2030 first-rounder
San Antonio Spurs get: 2025 No. 1 choose
The final word purpose of this commerce is to pair Flagg and Victor Wembanyama, the most-hyped No. 1 choose of the last decade. They might be Tim Duncan and David Robinson for a brand new technology. And though the Spurs simply missed out on successful the lottery, they’ve the property which may entice Dallas to swap No. 1 for No. 2.
What ought to it price to maneuver up on the prime of the draft? In 2017, the Philadelphia 76ers wanted to ship solely a single future first-rounder to Boston to leap from No. 3 to No. 1. However that is not an particularly helpful mannequin right here, as a result of then-Celtics GM Danny Ainge did not view Markelle Fultz, the consensus prime prospect in 2017, as favorably as everybody views Flagg this 12 months.
So let’s recreate an older draft commerce to construct the Spurs’ provide.
In 1993, the Warriors despatched three future firsts to the Orlando Magic to facilitate a swap of No. 3 choose Penny Hardaway (Memphis) for No. 1 choose Chris Webber (Michigan). That sounds about proper right here, with Flagg filling in for Webber — who, like Flagg, was a mega-prospect coming off a standout faculty profession — and Dylan Harper filling in for Hardaway as an enormous, dynamic guard.
To bridge the hole between the prospects, San Antonio would ship three draft property to assist Dallas replenish its moderately barren draft hoard. The Mavericks would add a late lottery choose within the 2025 draft, a probably engaging unprotected Hawks choose in 2027 and a return of their very own 2030 swap rights, which they’d initially despatched to San Antonio within the three-team sign-and-trade deal that introduced Grant Williams to Dallas.
This commerce would make a ton of sense for San Antonio, which might set up its frontcourt of the longer term — and, maybe, the frontcourt that might dominate the NBA for the foreseeable future — whereas not shedding any of its personal future draft alternatives. And so long as the Mavericks like Harper (or Ace Bailey, or VJ Edgecombe, or some other choices at No. 2) wherever near as a lot as they like Flagg, this swap would additionally make a ton of sense for them. — Kram
Cavs kind new star trio in Flagg, Mobley and Garland
Dallas Mavericks get: Guard Donovan Mitchell, 2031 first-round choose (through Lakers), 2028 first-round swap (through Lakers), 2030 first-round swap (through Lakers)
Cleveland Cavaliers get: 2025 No. 1 choose, guards Jevon Carter and Gabe Vincent, forwards Maxi Kleber and P.J. Washington, heart Daniel Gafford
Los Angeles Lakers get: Heart Jarrett Allen
Chicago Bulls get: Forwards Dalton Knecht and Caleb Martin, 2026 second-round choose (through Cavaliers), 2027 second-round choose (through Nuggets), 2028 second-round choose (through Cavaliers)
To cite Batman and George Costanza, “You need to get nuts? Come on, let’s get nuts.” Would the Cavaliers really break up a group that posted the NBA’s second-best report (64-18) in pursuit of Flagg? Certainly not, however if Cleveland believed that the loss to the Indiana Pacers uncovered deadly flaws and if the Cavaliers felt recentering the roster round 23-year-old Evan Mobley was the best response, this transfer might assist everybody concerned.
For the Mavericks, Mitchell is a greater match than Antetokounmpo, who would crowd a frontcourt restricted on capturing. Mitchell might begin subsequent season at level guard rather than Irving, then slide to the two when Irving returns. Dallas additionally comes out of this commerce with the Lakers’ draft property the group failed to gather within the Doncic deal, persevering with to wager in opposition to how Doncic will age.
Cleveland builds a brand new trio of stars with Flagg, Mobley and Darius Garland, none of them older than age 25. For now, the Cavaliers ought to have the ability to stay aggressive within the East due to depth and protection. A frontcourt of Flagg, Mobley and both Gafford or Washington could be one of many NBA’s finest on protection, whereas sliding Max Strus to protect would give Cleveland extra measurement within the backcourt.
As a result of this commerce should be accomplished by June 30 earlier than Mitchell’s extension kicks in and his wage jumps from $35.4 million to $46.4 million to keep away from triggering a tough cap for the Mavericks on the first apron, the Cavaliers cannot really save a lot on their 2025-26 luxurious tax invoice. However three of the contracts they’re taking again are expiring, that means large financial savings in 2026-27. And people expiring pacts must be movable (or stretchable) in future offers utilizing Cleveland’s remaining first-round property.
The Lakers get their long-desired rim-running heart in Allen, undoubtedly the perfect massive man obtainable to them by way of present worth. Getting Allen prices them not solely the choose, swap and Knecht (what they tried to ship the Charlotte Hornets for Mark Williams), but in addition a second swap. If the Lakers can construct round Allen and Doncic like they hope, that swap should not convey anyway.
Lastly, the Bulls are wanted as a fourth group to make sure not one of the different three groups provides wage on this deal, which might laborious cap them on the decrease luxurious tax apron. Chicago takes on the rest of Martin’s contract in alternate for including Knecht and all the Cavaliers’ tradeable second-round picks. — Pelton
Mavs choose up Booker and elite big-man depth
Dallas Mavericks get: Devin Booker, 2025 first-rounder (No. 29), 2028 first-rounder (least favorable of personal, Knicks and Wizards), 2029 first-round choose swap (least favorable of Cavs, Timberwolves and Jazz)
Phoenix Suns get: 2025 No. 1 choose, Klay Thompson, P.J. Washington, Naji Marshall and Caleb Martin
The premise of this provide — buying and selling a possible NBA megastar — is to underscore the Mavericks’ want to enhance their roster now. The Doncic-for-Davis commerce put the Mavericks in win-now mode anyhow, with a timeline tied round Davis, 32, and Irving, 33, so it could behoove them to commerce the longer term for the now. With these tips in place, buying and selling for Booker would make quite a lot of sense.
The Mavericks, as constructed, have elite big-man depth and a perennial All-Star level guard in Irving however might use one other dynamic perimeter presence on the wing. Dallas will want an elite playmaker who can lead the group whereas Irving is out, however play subsequent to him when he returns.
Enter Booker, who was a primary group All-NBA capturing guard in 2021-22, and is squarely in his prime at 28 years outdated. A wholesome core of Davis, Irving and Booker would have the ability to contend for championships instantly, and Booker would stay a centerpiece whilst Davis and Irving begin to age out of their primes. Add on that Dallas additionally will get some draft issues on this deal.
For the Suns, this offseason has the texture of a franchise that is prepared to vary every little thing and rebuild. Their try to win with a group that includes three pure scorers with out sufficient supporting infrastructure did not yield dividends, their wage cap state of affairs is untenable and so they have already traded away a number of future draft property.
It has been broadly rumored that Phoenix will commerce Kevin Durant this offseason as effectively, and if the Suns have been to try this deal earlier than this one, they may have extra property to sweeten the provide for Flagg. As is, getting Flagg’s potential to be their franchise cornerstone for the subsequent technology could be superb worth, even dealing Booker and all the draft issues they may transfer.
Within the hypothetical state of affairs through which Durant is moved earlier than the draft, the Suns with the ability to embrace potential property from such a deal would almost certainly enable them to make a extra aggressive provide than what’s being instructed right here. — Snellings
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Devin Booker laments lack of ‘successful tradition’ in Phoenix
When requested in regards to the Suns constructing a successful tradition and identification, Devin Booker says it was “one of many steps” the group skipped.
And the one commerce that’s laborious to move on …
Marks picks most lifelike of the trades and explains why or why not this may very well be possible:
The Mitchell and Booker trades take advantage of sense if the Mavericks have been working on a two-to-three-year timeline that Harrison described after buying and selling for Davis. However, that very same timeline expanded an additional eight years when Dallas received the draft lottery and the best to draft an impactful defender and versatile expertise in Flagg.
Buying and selling out of the primary choose is actually a threat contemplating Flagg’s upside and his match alongside Davis. However the Mavs transferring again one slot to No. 2 to draft Harper and choosing up three extra draft property, together with one other first on this 12 months’s lottery, is tough to move.
Keep in mind, the Celtics traded the No. 1 choose to Philadelphia within the 2017 draft, and they might go on to pick future six-time All-Star Jayson Tatum two slots later.
Extra importantly, the 2 unprotected firsts from Atlanta (2027) and the Lakers (2029) places the Mavericks within the entrance of the road if a participant similar to Antetokounmpo or Durant turns into obtainable.
