Kyrie Irving, de los Mavericks de Dallas, envía un pase en el encuentro del jueves 27 de febrero de 2025, ante los Hornets de Charlotte (AP Foto/LM Otero)
LM Otero/AP
The NBA’s conference finals are heating up, but for the Dallas Mavericks, the offseason is already in full gear.
Checked off the Mavs’ to-do list already? Finding new leadership in team president Masai Ujiri and general manager Mike Schmitz. But Dallas still has quite a bit to do, and that’s even before we start talking roster building.
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With a stated goal of building around Cooper Flagg, the Mavericks could look to the trade market to add key pieces around the 19-year-old Rookie of the Year. In a recent post, ESPN suggested a couple of big ways they could do exactly that.
ESPN released a list of six blockbuster trades that could “shake up the summer” in the NBA, and the Mavericks appeared in two of them. Check out the deals ESPN suggests Dallas make below “in exchange for more youth and draft picks.”
Daniel Gafford to the Lakers
Mavericks send: Daniel Gafford
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Mavericks get: Jarred Vanderbilt, Dalton Knecht, 2026 first-round pick (No. 25)
ESPN’s Zach Kram: “[Gafford] can rejoin Luka Doncic and thrive once more as a pick-and-roll partner and rim-running threat. This deal should be a no-brainer for the Lakers, as they’d address their glaring hole at the center position … with a player who’s a proven fit next to Doncic. Gafford would certainly help the Lakers more next season than any rookie they could draft with the No. 25 pick.
“On the other side, Dallas lost a 2028 pick swap when it acquired Gafford at the 2024 trade deadline, but it could recoup some of that value and add another young player here. The Mavericks also would clear future cap space, with Gafford signed for more money and years (through the 2028-29 season) than Vanderbilt.”
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ESPN’s Bobby Marks: “To part ways with Gafford, the Mavericks need to have assurance that Dereck Lively II is healthy. Lively played just seven games this season and underwent right foot surgery in December. Vanderbilt could give some backup minutes at center if there is a setback with Lively or the Mavericks could draft a big with one of their three first-round picks.”
Kyrie Irving to the Pistons
Mavericks send: Kyrie Irving
Mavericks get: Isaiah Stewart, Caris LeVert, Ron Holland, 2026 first-round pick (No. 21)
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ESPN’s Zach Kram: “Irving hasn’t played since March 3, 2025, when he tore the ACL in his left knee. He is 34 years old. And he is owed $82 million over the next two years (counting a 2027-28 player option).
“All those factors make him a risky addition for a Detroit team that just won 60 games. But they also mean Irving might be attainable via trade — especially if Dallas is ready to turn the page — for a reasonable price this summer. …
“The cost in this deal wouldn’t be too exorbitant, as Stewart, LeVert and Holland were all bench players for Detroit who didn’t contribute much in the postseason. Holland, in particular, is an intriguing trade option: As a recent No. 5 draft pick, he could be attractive for other teams but probably doesn’t fit long term next to Ausar Thompson because of both players’ offensive limitations.
“Next to Flagg, Holland makes much more sense. And exchanging Irving for Holland and a draft pick — as well as Stewart, who would replace Gafford as Dallas’ backup center if both of my proposed deals go through — would be a major step for the Mavericks’ potential youth movement.”
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ESPN’s Bobby Marks: “For Dallas, new president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri has talked positively about Irving on the roster.
“Kevin Durant once told me, ‘There is only one Kyrie walking around in the world,'” Ujiri said. “I think we have to figure out how Kyrie fits with our program. I have had those conversations with Kyrie. I think Kyrie will fit.”
Ujiri moving Irving now would be premature, especially when you consider Detroit’s offer is average, at best.”
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