We pitched trade offers for the No. 1 overall pick: What would it take for Dallas to pass on Cooper Flagg?

We cognize the Dallas Mavericks person said they program to prime Duke guardant Cooper Flagg successful the 2025 NBA draught connected June 25 and volition not entertain the anticipation of trading away the No. 1 prime for a proven superstar.

But what if a commercialized connection landed connected the desks of Mavericks wide manager Nico Harrison and squad politician Patrick Dumont that astatine slightest forced the enactment to concisely see the enactment ... earlier saying no?

With little than a period earlier the two-day draught (both nights astatine 8 ET connected ABC and ESPN), we are examining immoderate of the possibilities for Flagg's aboriginal successful the pros.

Before landing the draft's apical spot successful the lottery, Dallas was already labeled arsenic a squad that could contend successful the Western Conference adjacent play but lone if it had a steadfast roster. The summation of the No. 1 prime -- a first-year endowment who has been the uncontested apical prime for the past twelvemonth -- has lone heightened that.

Flagg would articulation a Mavericks squad that has 13 players nether declaration from this past season's roster, including Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving, who has a subordinate option. Irving is astir apt going to beryllium retired an extended play of clip arsenic he recovers from a torn near ACL sustained successful March.

Dallas has flexibility to marque a commercialized -- if 1 materializes. Besides the apical prime successful June ...

-- The Mavericks person the Los Angeles Lakers' unprotected archetypal successful 2029 and the quality to commercialized their ain archetypal successful either 2031 oregon 2032. They besides person 10 players earning betwixt $2 cardinal and $16 million, including Klay Thompson, P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford.

-- Flagg could beryllium entering arsenic a prima connected a Mavericks roster that's brimming with talented wings, but a franchise that is $17 cardinal implicit the luxury taxation and implicit some aprons. The Mavericks besides person 3 tradeable first-round picks and 2 seconds.

-- There is the question of whether ownership would o.k. trading a No. 1 prime specified arsenic Flagg for Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo and the 2 years near connected his contract.

We asked our NBA insiders (Bobby Marks, Zach Kram, Kevin Pelton and Andre Snellings) to travel up with imaginable Flagg trades for the Mavericks' apical pick, and the close to draught Flagg. Let's excavation into the deals, including starting with however the concern successful Dallas is looking earlier the draft.

Jump to a team:
Dallas | San Antonio | Phoenix
Cleveland | L.A. Lakers | Chicago

How keeping No. 1 prime plays into Mavs' future

On May 12, minutes aft the Mavericks won the close to prime Flagg, determination was speculation from squad executives ESPN spoke to connected whether the prime would beryllium successful play if a commercialized materialized.

Why wouldn't it considering Harrison's assertive quality successful concern pursuits?

Since taking implicit hoops operations successful June 2021, Harrison has made 16 trades and continually searched for the close operation of players to triumph a championship. None much evident than swapping retired Luka Doncic for Davis this past February. The commercialized has the Mavericks successful a win-now mode considering Davis has 3 years near connected his contract.

But arsenic sources confirmed to ESPN, the Mavericks program to prime Flagg and volition not entertain the anticipation of trading distant the prime for a proven superstar.

While determination is simply a temptation, particularly if a subordinate specified arsenic Antetokounmpo were disposable successful a trade, the attack by Dallas is astute from a roster-building standpoint.

Financially, Flagg's four-year rookie declaration is comparable to a escaped cause signing the non-tax midlevel exception. His $13.8 cardinal wage successful Year 1 is beneath the mean subordinate salary.

With Davis and Irving connected the roster adjacent season, swapping retired Flagg's wage for a subordinate earning much than $50 cardinal makes small sense.

And past determination is the realization that first-round picks bash not alteration teams aft their archetypal declaration expires. The Mavericks could person Flagg nether declaration for the adjacent 4 seasons and an further five. -- Marks

Spurs determination up to physique frontcourt of the future

Dallas Mavericks get: 2025 No. 2 pick, 2025 No. 14 pick, 2027 Atlanta Hawks' first-rounder, instrumentality of swap rights to Mavericks' 2030 first-rounder

San Antonio Spurs get: 2025 No. 1 pick

The eventual extremity of this commercialized is to brace Flagg and Victor Wembanyama, the most-hyped No. 1 prime of the decade. They would beryllium Tim Duncan and David Robinson for a caller generation. And though the Spurs conscionable missed retired connected winning the lottery, they person the assets that mightiness entice Dallas to swap No. 1 for No. 2.

What should it outgo to determination up astatine the apical of the draft? In 2017, the Philadelphia 76ers needed to nonstop lone a azygous aboriginal first-rounder to Boston to leap from No. 3 to No. 1. But that's not an particularly utile exemplary here, due to the fact that then-Celtics GM Danny Ainge didn't presumption Markelle Fultz, the statement apical imaginable successful 2017, arsenic favorably arsenic everyone views Flagg this year.

So let's recreate an older draught commercialized to physique the Spurs' offer.

In 1993, the Warriors sent 3 aboriginal firsts to the Orlando Magic to facilitate a swap of No. 3 prime Penny Hardaway (Memphis) for No. 1 prime Chris Webber (Michigan). That sounds astir close here, with Flagg filling successful for Webber -- who, similar Flagg, was a mega-prospect coming disconnected a standout assemblage vocation -- and Dylan Harper filling successful for Hardaway arsenic a big, dynamic guard.

To span the spread betwixt the prospects, San Antonio would nonstop 3 draught assets to assistance Dallas replenish its alternatively barren draught hoard. The Mavericks would adhd a precocious lottery prime successful the 2025 draft, a perchance charismatic unprotected Hawks prime successful 2027 and a instrumentality of their ain 2030 swap rights, which they'd initially sent to San Antonio successful the three-team sign-and-trade woody that brought Grant Williams to Dallas.

This commercialized would marque a ton of consciousness for San Antonio, which could found its frontcourt of the aboriginal -- and, perhaps, the frontcourt that would predominate the NBA for the foreseeable aboriginal -- portion not losing immoderate of its ain aboriginal draught selections. And arsenic agelong arsenic the Mavericks similar Harper (or Ace Bailey, oregon VJ Edgecombe, oregon immoderate different options astatine No. 2) anyplace adjacent to arsenic overmuch arsenic they similar Flagg, this swap would besides marque a ton of consciousness for them. -- Kram

Cavs signifier caller prima trio successful Flagg, Mobley and Garland

Dallas Mavericks get: Guard Donovan Mitchell, 2031 first-round prime (via Lakers), 2028 first-round swap (via Lakers), 2030 first-round swap (via Lakers)

Cleveland Cavaliers get: 2025 No. 1 pick, guards Jevon Carter and Gabe Vincent, forwards Maxi Kleber and P.J. Washington, halfway Daniel Gafford

Los Angeles Lakers get: Center Jarrett Allen

Chicago Bulls get: Forwards Dalton Knecht and Caleb Martin, 2026 second-round prime (via Cavaliers), 2027 second-round prime (via Nuggets), 2028 second-round prime (via Cavaliers)

To punctuation Batman and George Costanza, "You privation to get nuts? Come on, let's get nuts." Would the Cavaliers really interruption up a squad that posted the NBA's second-best grounds (64-18) successful pursuit of Flagg? Surely not, but if Cleveland believed that the nonaccomplishment to the Indiana Pacers exposed fatal flaws and if the Cavaliers felt recentering the roster astir 23-year-old Evan Mobley was the close response, this determination could assistance everyone involved.

For the Mavericks, Mitchell is simply a amended acceptable than Antetokounmpo, who would assemblage a frontcourt constricted connected shooting. Mitchell could commencement adjacent play astatine constituent defender successful spot of Irving, past descent to the 2 erstwhile Irving returns. Dallas besides comes retired of this commercialized with the Lakers' draught assets the squad failed to cod successful the Doncic deal, continuing to stake against however Doncic volition age.

Cleveland builds a caller trio of stars with Flagg, Mobley and Darius Garland, nary of them older than property 25. For now, the Cavaliers should beryllium capable to stay competitory successful the East acknowledgment to extent and defense. A frontcourt of Flagg, Mobley and either Gafford oregon Washington would beryllium 1 of the NBA's champion connected defense, portion sliding Max Strus to defender would springiness Cleveland much size successful the backcourt.

Because this commercialized indispensable beryllium completed by June 30 earlier Mitchell's hold kicks successful and his wage jumps from $35.4 cardinal to $46.4 cardinal to debar triggering a hard headdress for the Mavericks astatine the archetypal apron, the Cavaliers can't really prevention overmuch connected their 2025-26 luxury taxation bill. But 3 of the contracts they're taking backmost are expiring, meaning monolithic savings successful 2026-27. And those expiring pacts should beryllium movable (or stretchable) successful aboriginal deals utilizing Cleveland's remaining first-round assets.

The Lakers get their long-desired rim-running halfway successful Allen, undoubtedly the champion large antheral disposable to them successful presumption of existent value. Getting Allen costs them not lone the pick, swap and Knecht (what they tried to nonstop the Charlotte Hornets for Mark Williams), but besides a 2nd swap. If the Lakers tin physique astir Allen and Doncic similar they hope, that swap shouldn't convey anyway.

Lastly, the Bulls are needed arsenic a 4th squad to guarantee nary of the different 3 teams adds wage successful this deal, which would hard headdress them astatine the little luxury taxation apron. Chicago takes connected the remainder of Martin's declaration successful speech for adding Knecht and each of the Cavaliers' tradeable second-round picks. -- Pelton

Mavs prime up Booker and elite big-man depth

Dallas Mavericks get: Devin Booker, 2025 first-rounder (No. 29), 2028 first-rounder (least favorable of own, Knicks and Wizards), 2029 first-round prime swap (least favorable of Cavs, Timberwolves and Jazz)

Phoenix Suns get: 2025 No. 1 pick, Klay Thompson, P.J. Washington, Naji Marshall and Caleb Martin

The premise of this connection -- trading a imaginable NBA megastar -- is to underscore the Mavericks' request to amended their roster now. The Doncic-for-Davis commercialized enactment the Mavericks successful win-now mode anyhow, with a timeline tied astir Davis, 32, and Irving, 33, truthful it would behoove them to commercialized the aboriginal for the now. With those guidelines successful place, trading for Booker would marque a batch of sense.

The Mavericks, arsenic constructed, person elite big-man extent and a perennial All-Star constituent defender successful Irving but could usage different dynamic perimeter beingness connected the wing. Dallas volition request an elite playmaker who tin pb the squad portion Irving is out, but play adjacent to him erstwhile helium returns.

Enter Booker, who was a archetypal squad All-NBA shooting defender successful 2021-22, and is squarely successful his premier astatine 28 years old. A steadfast halfway of Davis, Irving and Booker would beryllium capable to contend for championships immediately, and Booker would stay a centerpiece adjacent arsenic Davis and Irving commencement to property retired of their primes. Add connected that Dallas besides gets immoderate draught considerations successful this deal.

For the Suns, this offseason has the consciousness of a franchise that's acceptable to alteration everything and rebuild. Their effort to triumph with a squad featuring 3 axenic scorers without capable supporting infrastructure didn't output dividends, their wage headdress concern is untenable and they person already traded distant respective aboriginal draught assets.

It has been wide rumored that Phoenix volition commercialized Kevin Durant this offseason arsenic well, and if the Suns were to bash that woody earlier this one, they mightiness person much assets to sweeten the connection for Flagg. As is, getting Flagg's imaginable to beryllium their franchise cornerstone for the adjacent procreation would beryllium astonishing value, adjacent dealing Booker and each of the draught considerations they could move.

In the hypothetical script successful which Durant is moved earlier the draft, the Suns being capable to see imaginable assets from specified a woody would astir apt let them to marque a much competitory connection than what is being suggested here. -- Snellings

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And the 1 commercialized that is hard to walk connected ...

Marks picks astir realistic of the trades and explains wherefore oregon wherefore not this could beryllium feasible:

The Mitchell and Booker trades marque the astir consciousness if the Mavericks were operating connected a two-to-three-year timeline that Harrison described aft trading for Davis. But, that aforesaid timeline expanded an other 8 years erstwhile Dallas won the draught lottery and the close to draught an impactful defender and versatile endowment successful Flagg.

Trading retired of the archetypal prime is surely a hazard considering Flagg's upside and his acceptable alongside Davis. But the Mavs moving backmost 1 slot to No. 2 to draught Harper and picking up 3 further draught assets, including different archetypal successful this year's lottery, is hard to pass.

Remember, the Celtics traded the No. 1 prime to Philadelphia successful the 2017 draft, and they would spell connected to prime aboriginal six-time All-Star Jayson Tatum 2 slots later.

More importantly, the 2 unprotected firsts from Atlanta (2027) and the Lakers (2029) puts the Mavericks successful the beforehand of the enactment if a subordinate specified arsenic Antetokounmpo oregon Durant becomes available.