The Dallas Mavericks were in the NBA Finals in 2024, and now two years later, they’re in rebuild mode. The Mavericks parted ways with Anthony Davis before the Feb. 5 trade deadline, which signaled they were starting to look to the future, with Cooper Flagg as their centerpiece.
Flagg, the first pick of the 2025 NBA Draft, had a terrific 2025-26 season and is likely to win Rookie of the Year. In him, the Mavericks have found their next franchise player, but his and their other big name’s timelines do not match. We’re, of course, talking about Kyrie Irving.
The 34-year-old Irving needs to be on a team that is in win-now mode, and the Mavericks certainly don’t fall into that category. So, a parting of ways could be in order, and Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz has put together a three-team trade for this offseason that sees him end up on the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Proposed Trade Details
Minnesota Timberwolves Receive: Kyrie Irving, Brook Lopez
Los Angeles Clippers Receive: Rudy Gobert
Dallas Mavericks Receive: Derrick Jones Jr., Bogdan Bogdanovic, Joan Beringer, 2029 first-round pick (IND)
The Timberwolves Finally Address Their Point Guard Problem
Ever since veteran Mike Conley started to decline, the Timberwolves have had a point guard problem. Conley’s decline saw him get relegated to the bench this season, with Donte DiVincenzo being elevated to the starting lineup. DiVincenzo isn’t a point guard, though, and neither is Ayo Dosunmu, whom they acquired before the deadline.
With this trade, the Timberwolves finally get that big-name point guard that they have never had next to Anthony Edwards. The last we saw of Irving, he was averaging 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game for the Mavericks in 2024-25. The question, though, is what version would the Timberwolves be getting?
Irving tore his ACL in March 2025 during a game against the Sacramento Kings. Will he be anywhere near his best when he returns? Well, ACL tears aren’t the career killers they once were. We have seen plenty of players make strong recoveries from them at this point, so you’d think Irving will be just fine.
The Timberwolves also get veteran center Brook Lopez in this deal. Lopez averaged 8.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.6 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game for the Los Angeles Clippers in 2025-26, and would be a serviceable backup to Naz Reid, who will be inserted into the lineup following Rudy Gobert’s departure.
The Clippers Get Their Ivica Zubac Replacement
The Clippers stunned the basketball world when they traded away star center Ivica Zubac to the Indiana Pacers at the deadline. That deal left them with a center rotation of Lopez, Yanic Konan Niederhauser, and Isaiah Jackson.
You ideally do not want to go into a season with Lopez as the starter at this stage of his career, while the rookie Niederhauser isn’t ready yet for that role. So, in comes Gobert, who averaged 10.9 points, 11.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.8 steals, and 1.6 blocks per game for the Timberwolves in 2025-26. The 33-year-old is no longer at his peak, but remains an excellent defensive player.
The Mavericks Get Another Draft Pick For The Rebuild
Lastly, we get to the Mavericks, who are getting an unprotected first-round pick in this deal. It is the Pacers’ 2029 first-round pick that the Clippers received as part of the Zubac trade. That could potentially turn out to be a very valuable asset.
As for the players, Derrick Jones Jr. returns to the Mavericks. Jones was part of that team that reached the 2024 NBA Finals, and his play that season led to him getting a three-year, $30 million deal from the Clippers.
Jones, who averaged 10.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.9 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game in 2025-26, has lived up to that deal and remains a quality 3-and-D player. The Mavericks could either hold on to him or flip him for more assets.
Bogdan Bogdanovic won’t fetch much on the trade market, though. Bogdanovic was out of the Clippers’ rotation for much of the season and finished with averages of 7.4 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 0.4 steals, and 0.1 blocks per game. He’d help match salaries here.
Rookie Joan Beringer would be the final player the Mavericks get. The Timberwolves selected Beringer with the 17th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, and he barely got any game time as a rookie. That was to be expected as they are looking to win a championship.
The Mavericks, though, are in a position to give Beringer more time on the court to develop. The Frenchman had 24 points and 13 rebounds in the Timberwolves’ final regular-season game against the New Orleans Pelicans, and is an intriguing prospect.
Who Says No?
This is an interesting deal in the sense that you can make a case for why every team says no in the offseason. The Mavericks might want to let Irving play in the 2026-27 season to show he can still operate at a high level. That would increase his value and fetch them a better haul than what they’re getting here.
As for the Timberwolves, they might want to see what Irving is capable of before they trade for him. If he is indeed anywhere near his best, they should make the trade.
Lastly, for the Clippers, this comes down to what they do with Kawhi Leonard this offseason. If they trade Leonard, then it makes little sense to go after Gobert. If they’re still looking to compete with the two-time NBA champion, then the Frenchman would be a quality addition.
