The Dallas Mavericks hold the first overall selection in the 2025 NBA draft and have stated their intention to draft Duke forward Cooper Flagg, dismissing the idea of trading the pick for an established star. However, it`s worth considering what kind of offer might be compelling enough to at least warrant brief consideration from Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison and team governor Patrick Dumont.
With the two-day draft approaching, various possibilities for Flagg`s professional future are being explored. Before securing the top pick in the lottery, Dallas was already seen as a potential Western Conference contender, provided the roster remained healthy. Winning the No. 1 pick, which gives them access to a player widely considered the consensus top prospect for the past year, has only amplified those expectations.
Flagg would join a Mavericks squad that has 13 players under contract from the previous season, including key figures like Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving, who has a player option. Irving is expected to miss significant time recovering from a torn left ACL suffered in March.
Dallas possesses some flexibility for potential trades. Beyond the top pick, they own the Los Angeles Lakers` unprotected first-round pick in 2029 and have the ability to trade their own first-round pick in either 2031 or 2032. The team also has ten players with salaries ranging from $2 million to $16 million, including notable players like Klay Thompson, P.J. Washington, and Daniel Gafford. The Mavericks roster is deep with talented wings, but the franchise is currently over the luxury tax threshold and both aprons. They also hold three tradeable first-round picks and two second-round picks.
A significant question is whether ownership would approve trading a top prospect like Flagg, on a rookie contract, for a player like Milwaukee`s Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has two years remaining on a high-salary contract. We consulted NBA insiders to generate potential trade concepts involving the Mavericks` No. 1 pick and the right to draft Flagg. Let`s examine these proposed deals, beginning with an overview of Dallas`s current situation.
The Mavericks` Future with the No. 1 Pick
Immediately after the Mavericks won the draft lottery on May 12, speculation arose among team executives regarding the possibility of trading the pick if a suitable offer materialized, given General Manager Nico Harrison`s history of aggressive moves.
Since taking over basketball operations in June 2021, Harrison has executed 16 trades, constantly seeking the optimal player mix for a championship run. The February trade exchanging Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis significantly pushed the Mavericks into a win-now mode, aligned with Davis`s three remaining contract years. However, sources confirmed that the Mavericks plan to select Flagg and are not entertaining offers for proven superstars.
While the temptation to trade for a player like Antetokounmpo exists, Dallas`s decision to keep the pick makes sense from a roster-building perspective. Financially, Flagg`s four-year rookie contract is comparable to a free agent signing the non-tax midlevel exception. His projected $13.8 million salary in the first year is below the average player salary. With Davis and Irving already on the roster, replacing Flagg`s affordable salary with a player earning over $50 million annually makes little financial sense.
Furthermore, first-round picks often remain with their drafting teams beyond their initial contracts. The Mavericks could potentially have Flagg under contract for the next four seasons, with the possibility of adding five more seasons through extensions.
Hypothetical Trade Offer 1: Spurs Acquire Top Pick to Form Frontcourt Duo
San Antonio Spurs perspective:
Receive: 2025 No. 1 pick (Cooper Flagg)
Dallas Mavericks perspective:
Receive: 2025 No. 2 pick, 2025 No. 14 pick, 2027 Atlanta Hawks` first-rounder, return of swap rights to Mavericks` 2030 first-rounder
The primary objective for San Antonio in this scenario is to unite Flagg with Victor Wembanyama, the most-hyped No. 1 pick of the past decade. This pairing could potentially become a modern-day Tim Duncan and David Robinson duo. Despite missing out on the top spot in the lottery, the Spurs possess assets that might persuade Dallas to swap the first and second picks.
Determining the cost of moving up to No. 1 is challenging. In 2017, Philadelphia sent only a future first-rounder to Boston to move from No. 3 to No. 1 for Markelle Fultz. However, that situation differs because the Celtics` GM, Danny Ainge, did not value Fultz as highly as Flagg is valued this year.
A historical comparison might be the 1993 trade where the Warriors sent three future firsts to Orlando to swap No. 3 (Penny Hardaway) for No. 1 (Chris Webber). This feels more appropriate for the Flagg scenario, with Flagg akin to the highly-touted college star Webber, and Dylan Harper potentially filling the role of a dynamic guard available at No. 2.
To bridge the value gap between the prospects, San Antonio would provide Dallas with three draft assets to help replenish their limited collection of picks. The Mavericks would gain a late lottery pick in the 2025 draft, a potentially valuable unprotected Hawks pick in 2027, and regain their 2030 swap rights, which they originally sent to San Antonio in the sign-and-trade that brought Grant Williams to Dallas.
This trade is highly logical for San Antonio, allowing them to establish a potential franchise frontcourt without sacrificing any of their own future draft selections. For the Mavericks, if they value a prospect like Harper, Ace Bailey, or VJ Edgecombe at No. 2 reasonably close to Flagg, this swap would also be highly beneficial, providing significant draft capital.
Hypothetical Trade Offer 2: Multi-Team Deal Forms New Trio in Cleveland
Dallas Mavericks perspective:
Receive: Guard Donovan Mitchell, 2031 first-round pick (via Lakers), 2028 first-round swap (via Lakers), 2030 first-round swap (via Lakers)
Cleveland Cavaliers perspective:
Receive: 2025 No. 1 pick (Cooper Flagg), guards Jevon Carter and Gabe Vincent, forwards Maxi Kleber and P.J. Washington, center Daniel Gafford
Los Angeles Lakers perspective:
Receive: Center Jarrett Allen
Chicago Bulls perspective:
Receive: Forwards Dalton Knecht and Caleb Martin, 2026 second-round pick (via Cavaliers), 2027 second-round pick (via Nuggets), 2028 second-round pick (via Cavaliers)
This complex multi-team proposal is quite ambitious. Would the Cavaliers realistically break up a team that achieved the NBA`s second-best record (64-18) to pursue Flagg? Unlikely, but if Cleveland concluded their recent playoff loss exposed fundamental weaknesses and decided to refocus the team around 23-year-old Evan Mobley, this move could benefit all parties.
For the Mavericks, Donovan Mitchell is a better fit than Antetokounmpo, who might create frontcourt congestion due to limited shooting. Mitchell could start at point guard while Irving is out and then transition to shooting guard upon Irving`s return. Dallas would also acquire the Lakers` draft assets they previously sought in the Luka Doncic trade, betting on a decline in Lakers` future performance.
Cleveland would build a new core of stars with Flagg, Mobley, and Darius Garland, all under the age of 26. The Cavaliers could aim to remain competitive in the Eastern Conference through improved depth and defense. A frontcourt featuring Flagg, Mobley, and either Gafford or Washington would be defensively strong, while moving Max Strus to guard could increase backcourt size.
Because this trade would need to be finalized by June 30 before Mitchell`s extension triggers a significant salary increase, it wouldn`t immediately provide substantial luxury tax savings for the Cavaliers due to hard cap restrictions at the first apron. However, three of the contracts they would acquire are expiring, leading to significant savings in the 2026-27 season. These expiring contracts could also be moved or stretched in future deals using Cleveland`s remaining draft assets.
The Lakers would finally acquire their desired rim-protecting center in Jarrett Allen, arguably the most valuable big man available to them. This acquisition would cost them the pick, swaps, and Dalton Knecht (a player they reportedly offered for Mark Williams), plus an additional swap. If the Lakers successfully build around Allen and Luka Doncic, this additional swap might not convey.
The Chicago Bulls are included as a fourth team to ensure the other three teams do not add salary, which would trigger a hard cap at the lower luxury tax apron. Chicago takes on Caleb Martin`s remaining contract in exchange for acquiring Knecht and all of Cleveland`s tradeable second-round picks.
Hypothetical Trade Offer 3: Mavs Land Devin Booker
Dallas Mavericks perspective:
Receive: Devin Booker, 2025 first-rounder (No. 29), 2028 first-rounder (least favorable of own, Knicks and Wizards), 2029 first-round pick swap (least favorable of Cavs, Timberwolves and Jazz)
Phoenix Suns perspective:
Receive: 2025 No. 1 pick (Cooper Flagg), Klay Thompson, P.J. Washington, Naji Marshall and Caleb Martin
The foundation of this offer, trading a potential future superstar, highlights the Mavericks` immediate need to improve their roster. The trade for Anthony Davis already signaled a win-now approach tied to Davis`s and Irving`s timelines. Therefore, trading future potential for present-day impact makes strategic sense, and acquiring Devin Booker aligns with this goal.
The current Mavericks roster boasts strong big-man depth and an All-Star point guard in Irving, but could benefit from another dynamic perimeter threat on the wing. Dallas requires an elite playmaker capable of leading the team while Irving is sidelined, and playing effectively alongside him upon his return.
Devin Booker, an All-NBA shooting guard in his prime at 28, fits this profile perfectly. A healthy core of Davis, Irving, and Booker would immediately contend for championships. Booker would also remain a central figure as Davis and Irving potentially decline with age. Furthermore, Dallas gains additional draft considerations in this proposed deal.
For the Phoenix Suns, this offseason has the feeling of a franchise on the verge of a complete overhaul and rebuild. Their strategy of relying on three pure scorers without sufficient supporting talent has not yielded results, their salary cap situation is severely constrained, and they have already traded away multiple future draft assets.
It has been rumored that Phoenix may trade Kevin Durant this offseason. If they were to complete a Durant trade before the draft, they might acquire more assets to potentially enhance their offer for Flagg. As it stands, acquiring Flagg as a potential cornerstone for the next generation represents immense value for the Suns, even at the cost of trading Booker and several draft considerations.
The Most Realistic Trade Scenario
Examining the proposed deals, the Donovan Mitchell and Devin Booker trades align best with a two-to-three-year win-now timeline, similar to the rationale behind the trade for Anthony Davis. However, that timeline significantly expanded when Dallas secured the top pick and the opportunity to draft Cooper Flagg, an impactful defender and versatile talent with high upside.
Trading away the first pick is inherently risky given Flagg`s potential and his fit alongside Davis. Yet, the proposal involving the Mavericks moving back just one spot to No. 2 to draft a player like Dylan Harper while acquiring three additional draft assets, including another first-rounder in this year`s lottery, is particularly compelling and difficult to dismiss.
Recall that in the 2017 draft, the Boston Celtics traded the No. 1 pick to Philadelphia and subsequently selected future six-time All-Star Jayson Tatum just two spots later.
Crucially, the acquisition of potentially valuable unprotected first-round picks from Atlanta (2027) and the Lakers (2029) would position the Mavericks favorably to pursue a superstar like Giannis Antetokounmpo or Kevin Durant if they become available in the future.
