If the Dallas Mavericks decide to go all-in with the Cooper Flag, they will need to make some moves to make the most of the younger star.
The Dallas Mavericks shocked the NBA world by landing their first overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Aside from the massive deals, the Mavericks are expected to jumpstart a new era with the top picks of Duke’s outstanding Cooper Flag.
Earlier this season, the Mavericks made an inexplicable move to trade Luka Donsic for the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis. The roster is still primarily built around Donsic, and if Dallas wants to build around Flagg’s advancement, changes will need to be made.
Kyrie Irving sheds ACL tears and for most, if not all, if not all, Mavericks should add playmaking. In our proposed three-team deal, they do that while adding centers to the Golden State Warriors and can chase the title alongside Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green.
Mavericks will need playmaking and shooting as Flagg and Davis lead the charge next season. Meanwhile, the Warriors need centers to score rebounds and scores on the frontcourt next to the green.
By roped in the still-restructured Chicago Bulls, both the Maverick and the Warriors get what they want, and Chicago can unload their worst contracts and continue the youth movement.
Complete mock trade details
- Maverick receives: Lonzo Ball, Buddy Heald
- Warriors Reace: Nikola Vucevic
- Bulls Received: Moses Moody, Naj Marshall, Brandon Williams, 2027 First Round Pick (via GSW, Top Ten Protection)
The deal adds a well-established and hopefully healthy point guard in Dallas, while reinforcing the offense at Haild, and the Warriors round out the Championship Caliber, starting five Curries in Curry, Brandin Poziemski, Butler, Green and Vsevic.
Meanwhile, the Bulls add two young players to Moody and Williams, a defensive stopper from Marshall and a one-round pick. If everything is suitable for Golden State, 2027 will be the final season of competition and that pick should be told.
The results of the transaction are very simple. The Warriors lacked paint presence in the playoffs, catching up to 51 boards in their first round matchup with Rocket.
The Vucevic is a double double machine, and in attacks, there is no need to crowd the paint, allowing green and butlers to play near the basket.
Believing to be in the middle of the title window, the Mavericks enhance their shooting around the frontcourts of Davis, Flag and Derek Lively III in Haald. They also take off the redundant Marshall by getting a stop gap point guard on the ball and adding Flag to the draft.
Hopefully Irving will come back to lead the playoff charge, but healthy balls can run the show.
Finally, Chicago has added to the youth and has not committed to large long-term contracts. The Bulls have been a play-in-the-fixture of the past few seasons, and this deal allows them to rebuild for the season and add young talent next to Matas Buzelis, Coby White and Josh Giddy.