Grade the Trade: Lakers fleece Mavericks in LeBron trade proposal

Laying out a LeBron trade to the Mavericks

There are three major factors to consider in crafting a trade between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Dallas Mavericks. The first is the salary; the Mavs won’t have cap space, so any trade package has to come within 125 percent of LeBron’s salary. Secondly, the Mavericks are trying to compete for a title after making such a deal, so they will want to keep something back to help them in that endeavor.

In the end, though, the most important factor here is the value going back to the Lakers. Why would they do this deal unless they were getting every single trade asset the Mavericks have? LeBron is 38 years old, under contract, with his entire life based in Los Angeles. How much leverage does he really have?

If the Mavericks are serious about pursuing this Big 3, they will need to pay up. They can offer a middle-ground trade package, where they keep Maxi Kleber or Reggie Bullock, try to retain Josh Green, or only offer a single first. In the end, though, this is what it’s going to take:

Would the Mavericks make this deal? Certainly not at first, but they probably do eventually talk themselves into it. Fielding a team with three superstars is nearly impossible under the new CBA, but since it doesn’t kick in until 2024-25 the Mavs would have one season to make a run at it before figuring out the damages next summer.

They would have two bona fide superstars and one of the most gifted offensive players in the league, and that’s the foundation upon which one pursues a championship. If anyone can keep Kyrie Irving locked in it’s LeBron. They will need to strike gold on veteran minimums, but plenty of players will want to play for a title with LeBron and Luka, and Texas isn’t a bad place to do that, either.