Getting rewarded for malpractice is an art that Nico Harrison and the Dallas Mavericks mastered this offseason. After missing the playoffs, the Mavericks, with a 1.8 percent chance of doing so, lucked into the first overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
With Cooper Flagg set to pack his bags for Dallas, and the Mavericks owner confirming they intend to use the top selection in the draft, their organization looks to be in good shape again heading into next season. That is, apart from one key issue.
Kyrie Irving, who has a player option for this upcoming free agency period, is expect to miss a significant chunk of the upcoming season due to the torn ACL suffered towards the end of the 2024-25 NBA season. The Mavericks need guard play to hold them over until then.
"I'm told the Mavericks will be pursuing a point guard," Shams Charania reported to ESPN viewers. "Whether that's in the trade market [or] in free agency, that is a big priority for them because we know Kyrie Irving [is injured]. He's targeting potentially some time in January, making his return."
This is where the Los Angeles Lakers come in. Rob Pelinka will be given another opportunity to swindle Harrison out of some serious talent.
Lakers, Mavericks have what the other desperately needs
On the Game Theory Podcast, Sam Vecenie floated a trade idea involving the Lakers and Mavericks reuniting for a trade that would look to satisfy both sides.
"What if Luka [Doncic] convinces the Lakers to say, 'Hey, I really want [Derreck] Lively,' and Austin Reaves for Lively is now the most interesting deal on the market," Vecenie said.
The podcast host noted the appeal of Reaves comes from his ability to both play with and without Irving in the lineup. With Anthony Davis and Daniel Gafford, Vecenie believed the Mavericks could afford to move on from Lively and give Doncic his old lob threat.
There has been a lot of talk about Gafford being the odd man out in the Dallas frontcourt so the thought of reversing that and the Lakers actually getting the younger big man, who has obvious chemistry with Luka, is intriguing.
The situation also offers an interesting solution to the dilemma of what to do with Reaves and his looming contract extension. However, a couple of things need to be said.
The Lakers would obviously need more to both sweeten the pot for the idea of giving up their talented offensive guard, and match salaries from the Mavericks. This is where the opportunity for a good shakedown on Pelinka's part comes from. How much more can you get from the Mavericks?
Lively is a talented young center, but Reaves holds considerably stronger trade value. Do the Lakers push for someone like Naji Marshall and call it a day? Is the idea of reacquiring Max Christie potentially on the board? Is there any interest in a veteran marksman like Klay Thompson?
There are numerous pathways to explore between these two sides on matching up the salaries and getting a deal done. The maximum output for the return package that Los Angeles could yield really comes down to Pelinka's ability to prop up Reaves as an integral trade piece for the Mavericks.