The Los Angeles Lakers would love to trade for Cooper Flagg, and they just might get a shot to acquire him after an All-Star season if history repeats itself. Flagg became the third Maverick to win Rookie of the Year on Monday evening. Dallas traded the previous two in their 20s after an All-Star season. The Lakers benefitted handsomely from the Luka Doncic trade, and will be ready if the Mavs ever decide to put Flagg on the market.
Dallas’ history with Rookie of the Year winners is laughably bad. Jason Kidd shared the award with Grant Hill in 1995. He was an All-Star in 1996 and traded in December of 1996 because things got so bad. The Mavericks followed that disaster by trading Luka Doncic just months after leading the franchise to the NBA Finals. The current Lakers star made first-team All-NBA five times in six seasons and led Dallas to two conference finals appearances. Lakers fans still don’t understand that trade.
The Mavericks' head-scratching history could repeat itself with Flagg. The Rookie of the Year race was only close because Dallas struggled so much this season. Flagg wants to win, so the Mavs are already on the clock. If the franchise can’t turn it around, the newest Rookie of the Year could be on the move in a few years. If that happens, the Lakers will be ready.
Lakers will be waiting for the Mavericks to make this Cooper Flagg mistake
The purple and gold have a lengthy history of acquiring star players. Fans will quickly point to Luka Doncic, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Shaq, but it dates back to Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Star players love to come to Los Angeles and play for the historic franchise.
The Lakers would be near the top of the list of favorites to be Flagg’s second team. The 19-year-old is already an elite player with the upside to be the best player on the planet in his prime. Every team would be chasing him if he became available. Flagg may opt to join his hometown Celtics, but they are the only team that would even be on par with Los Angeles if Flagg becomes available.
That would be the ultimate gut-punch to Mavericks fans. They are still devastated about losing Luka to the Lakers. LA fans know that won’t stop the purple and gold from chasing Flagg if he becomes available. It would be a dream move that got a bit more likely the moment Flagg went to Dallas. The Lakers get stars and take care of them. It is why the best players keep choosing Los Angeles.
The Mavericks traded their first two Rookie of the Year winners before they reached their apex. Dallas fans don’t want to hear it, but the same could happen with Cooper Flagg. If it does, the Los Angeles Lakers will be waiting with an offer. Nobody thought LA could acquire Luka, but they made it happen. The Lakers have a history of acquiring top-end talent, and Dallas is known to sell it. I am not saying it will happen again, but it might.
The Lakers are always ready to pounce on a superstar. Cooper Flagg just won Rookie of the Year and is the Mavericks' building block, but things change quickly in the NBA. Luka was leading them to the NBA Finals and traded eight months later. Never say never. Lakers fans will certainly be dreaming it happens, and history suggests it could be sooner than anyone expects right now.
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