The Dallas Mavericks found themselves in an odd situation following the Doncic-Davis trade. While they managed to draw the ire of the entire fanbase, they remained a competitive team as Anthony Davis led them to the Play-In tournament.
Unfortunately, injuries caused their run to be derailed as they went crashing out in the final game against the Memphis Grizzlies. What was made abundantly clear, however, was that with Davis and Irving, two perennially injury-prone players, the Mavs’ window to win a championship is small.
In light of this, the Mavs fans find themselves celebrating the team’s miraculous success in landing the first-overall pick in the upcoming draft. With an opportunity to land a franchise player in Cooper Flagg, Dallas will have all the necessary pieces to compete. But this won’t necessarily make them a title-contender.
While there have been trade proposals that could ensure the Mavericks acquire the right talent and the appropriate veterans to facilitate winning, it may not inspire the same confidence as this blockbuster trade presented by ESPN.
In a trade with the Phoenix Suns, the Mavs would leverage some of their key players to facilitate the acquisition of Suns star Devin Booker. Let’s take a look at the proposal.
Proposed Trade Details
Dallas Mavericks Receive: Devin Booker, 2025 No. 29 pick, 2028 first-round (NYK or WAS), 2029 first-round pick swap (CLE, MIN, or UTA)
Phoenix Suns Receive: 2025 No. 1 pick, Klay Thompson, P.J. Washington, Naji Marshall, Caleb Martin
In what could prove to be a major landscape shift in the NBA, let’s take a look at how this trade would impact each team.
The Mavericks Form A Superteam
The acquisition of Devin Booker as part of this trade could potentially reset the Mavs’ approach to contending for a title. Although Irving will remain sidelined till at least January 2026, the inside-outside pairing of Davis and Booker remains extremely potent.
Booker has been one of the most impressive young guards in the league. At 28 years old, on the verge of entering his prime, he is a reliable scorer and facilitator with an incredible ability to take over games when called upon to do so.
Last season, although the Suns had a disappointing outing, Booker notched an average of 25.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 7.1 assists while shooting 46.1% from the field and 33.2% from beyond the arc. Although he wasn’t named to the All-Star team this season, it is evident that he can be the first-option star on any title-contending roster.
Booker would be an ideal fit on the Mavericks. With Irving out of the rotation, the 28-year-old establishes himself as the primary facilitator for the team. In case the Mavs manage to acquire his old running mate, Chris Paul, in the offseason, the reunion could bring the best out of Booker, who would naturally slide into the shooting guard position with Klay Thompson headed out.
Booker’s defensive shortcomings would also become less visible in a team with Anthony Davis and Derrick Lively II to support him. In many ways, with the 4x All-Star taking over the offensive load, Davis would be freed up to dominate.
The return of Irving would lead to Dallas becoming one of the most potent rosters in the NBA. With a backcourt of Booker and Irving, paired with a frontcourt anchored by Davis, the Mavs would be capable of holding their own against any team in the West.
In addition to the immediate impact of this trade, the Mavs also acquire valuable draft capital, including the No. 29 pick in the upcoming draft. The 2028 first-rounder and 2029 first-round pick swap add to the team’s limited reserves. With these, the organization could look to retain the picks to add young players through the draft or pivot and restructure their roster through trades.
The Suns Receive A Future Superstar
The mention of the 2025 No. 1 pick appears to be a formality at this stage. With the consensus being what it is, including the hype surrounding him, the Suns are likely to receive Cooper Flagg as part of this deal.
The addition of Flagg would be immense for the Suns’ franchise. After a terrific season at Duke, the 18-year-old garnered nationwide attention for his ability and growth potential.
In Phoenix, Flagg’s arrival would signal the start of a rebuild, and the pieces around him would facilitate this in every capacity. With the likes of Kevin Durant on the way out as well, the Suns could safely expect to have ample amounts of cap space to proceed with their project.
Flagg’s development would be closely supported by the mentorship of four-time NBA champion Klay Thompson. The 35-year-old would remain a productive piece on the Suns, especially after he averaged 14.0 points and 3.4 rebounds on 39.1% shooting from beyond the arc last season.
Although Thompson isn’t the two-way threat he used to be, his experience and veteran leadership will be invaluable for Phoenix.
Additionally, the Suns also see the arrival of a young but dependable forward in PJ Washington. The 26-year-old recorded averages of 14.7 points and 7.8 rebounds on shooting splits of 45.3% from the field and 38.1% from three-point range.
While it is likely that Washington would come off the bench, given Phoenix’s lack of depth in the center position, the Suns may opt to go small with him at 5.
Naji Marshall and Caleb Martin also make for good role player signings in this regard. On relatively team-friendly salaries, both players, particularly Marshall, provided solid contributions to the Mavs last season. He averaged 13.2 points and 4.8 rebounds while highlighting his abilities as a defensive player as well.
Although the Suns receive no draft capital and will remain in a fairly vulnerable position for next season, this trade gives them a framework to retool around Flagg in the future. With extensive cap space and more coming off the books in expiring contracts, Phoenix could very realistically make a move to sign free agents or acquire a superstar next summer.
High Risk, Low Reward
A trade of this magnitude is undoubtedly viewed as a high-risk, high-reward deal. But in reality, the output may not be as rewarding as presented.
For the Suns, the development of Flagg would become the central goal for the franchise. But committing all their assets to ensure this could easily backfire in the absence of a contingency plan. And with limited draft capital, Phoenix may not be able to recover from such a situation.
It is also important to remember that the Suns have expressed their intentions of retooling around Booker, focusing on trading Durant instead. While the franchise could easily pivot from this, it would be rather counterproductive, considering they don’t intend to rebuild.
For the Mavericks, there is a massive “if” regarding Irving’s return date. While the pairing of Booker and Davis would still be quite solid, the big man’s injury-prone nature doesn’t inspire much faith either. In such a scenario, should the guard be left to carry the team, with no genuine role players to support him, the Mavs could find themselves in a similar position as last season.
