The Dallas Mavericks and the Los Angeles Lakers made arguably the most shocking trade in NBA history in February 2025. The Mavericks chose to send Luka Doncic to the Lakers, and the two teams have been trending in opposite directions ever since.
The Lakers are currently second in the West with a 15-5 record and are aiming to win the championship. The Mavericks, meanwhile, are 12th with a 7-15 record, and some sort of roster overhaul is on the cards. Building a team that fits Cooper Flagg’s timeline might be the way to go, and Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz has suggested they make a wild three-team trade involving the Lakers and the Charlotte Hornets.
Proposed Trade Details
Dallas Mavericks Receive: LaMelo Ball
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: Klay Thompson, Daniel Gafford
Charlotte Hornets Receive: Max Christie, Rui Hachimura, Dalton Knecht, Gabe Vincent, 2029 first-round pick (LAL)
This isn’t as shocking as the Doncic trade, but it would still be a stunner. Here is a look at what it would mean for the teams.
The Mavericks Get A Point Guard For The Present And Future
The Mavericks do have a point guard for the present in 33-year-old Kyrie Irving, but there is no long-term option at the position. Doncic would have been that, but he’s no longer on the team.
The Mavericks solve that little problem with this trade by bringing in LaMelo Ball. Now, Ball isn’t Doncic, but he does give them some star power at the position.
This might be the right time to get Ball, too, as his stock is at an all-time low. The 24-year-old is averaging 18.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 8.9 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.2 blocks per game in 2025-26 while shooting 37.8% from the field and 28.3% from beyond the arc.
Ball is in the midst of quite a shooting slump, but you’d imagine things will get better over time. He has never been the most efficient player, but he wasn’t this bad.
A change in scenery could help Ball as well, and a core of him and Flagg could be quite interesting. On the flip side, though, Ball has never really shown he can contribute to winning and has struggled to stay healthy. So, this would be a bit of a risk.
The Lakers Strengthen Their Frontcourt And Add A Shooter
This is a bit of an odd trade for the Lakers as they are bringing in 35-year-old Klay Thompson and 27-year-old Daniel Gafford. They would be very much looking in the short term, but these are good pieces.
Thompson struggled mightily at the start of the season, but he has shown signs of life lately. He’s averaging 14.5 points on 40.6% shooting from beyond the arc in his last 11 games. Thompson would instantly become the best shooter on the Lakers with this trade.
As for Gafford, he is putting up 9.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.9 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game in 2025-26. He isn’t as good as Deandre Ayton on offense, but he is a better defender. Gafford gives the Lakers a different kind of starting-caliber option at the center spot.
All that said, though, is this really the best move for the Lakers? Their biggest need is an athletic wing defender. Sure, they could use Thompson’s shooting, but they’re giving up their best shooter this season in Rui Hachimura (46.1% from three) in this trade. They aren’t strengthening themselves in that regard.
Also, while Gafford is a good addition, the position just isn’t a priority at the moment. Assets like Hachimura and Dalton Knecht should be used to bring in that wing defender, not two players who are likely coming off the bench.
The Hornets Finally End The LaMelo Ball Era
As for the Hornets, well, they haven’t really had any sort of success in this Ball era. He has been the centerpiece of their franchise for years, but they haven’t even made the playoffs since they selected him with the third pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. Moving Ball out means the Hornets start rebuilding around Kon Knueppel, who is a Rookie of the Year candidate.
The Hornets are getting some decent-to-good role players here in Hachimura, Knecht, Max Christie, and Gabe Vincent. We mentioned Hachimura shooting well earlier, and Christie is doing the same. He is currently shooting 45.6% from beyond the arc and is a fine defensive player as well. Vincent, meanwhile, is a solid defensive guard, and Knecht has shown promise as a shooter.
To go with these players, the Hornets also get the draft pick that the Lakers sent to the Mavericks as part of the Doncic trade. It doesn’t look like an incredible asset at the moment, but a lot can change in three years.
All in all, though, is this enough for a guard like Ball?
Who Says No?
This might be the rare three-team trade where each team has strong reasons to say no. You’d imagine the Lakers certainly would be against it. If they didn’t have Ayton, then maybe they would have looked into this, but not anymore.
For the Hornets, trading Ball when his value is at an all-time low might not be the wisest decision. They probably should be looking to move on, but only after he has a stretch of better basketball, which can convince a team to give a better haul than this.
The Mavericks might consider this due to Ball’s age, but you’d think they have been burned enough by an injury-prone star at this point in Anthony Davis. They might be better off looking at other long-term solutions at the point guard position.
