The Dallas Mavericks have had an up-and-down offseason. Although they improved their big-man depth tremendously by adding Christian Wood and JaVale McGee, they took a hit when Jalen Brunson decided to sign with the New York Knicks in free agency.
The offseason has slowed down significantly since then, but that could be changing soon, as HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto reports the Knicks have had three-way trade discussions with the Jazz and Los Angeles Lakers … and yes, Russell Westbrook is involved.
“The Lakers, Knicks, and Jazz discussed a three-team trade with Donovan Mitchell landing in New York, Patrick Beverley and another key Jazz player to the Lakers, Russell Westbrook on the move, and draft picks to Utah,” wrote Scotto.
“Should Mitchell be traded, rival NBA executives believe a fire sale will happen immediately in Utah, signaling the start of a long-term rebuild. Playoff-caliber teams are monitoring Bojan Bogdanovic and Patrick Beverley, with both players entering contract seasons.”
It’s been well-documented that the Lakers don’t want to trade their 2027 and 2029 first-round draft picks just to get off Russell Westbrook’s expiring $47 million contract. However, LeBron James became eligible for a contract extension on Thursday and might use his leverage to make the Lakers do something to improve their roster before he signs.
Given that the Knicks don’t want to meet Utah GM Danny Ainge’s draft picks price in a straight-up trade for Mitchell, this would be a good way for each side to get what it wants: The Jazz get their picks from two different teams, the Lakers get two win-now players and potentially a LeBron extension, and the Knicks get Mitchell to pair with newly acquired guard Jalen Brunson.
Could the Mavs potentially benefit from the aftermath of this proposed three-way blockbuster deal? We’ve already written about a number of Jazz veterans who would benefit the Mavs, including Patrick Beverley, Mike Conley, Bojan Bogdanovic, Jordan Clarkson and Malik Beasley. If the Lakers get Beverley and one more of the other guys listed there, that still leaves three options for Dallas to look into.
If Luka Doncic maintains his new slim form into training camp and the start of the season, the Mavs will win a lot of games no matter what else happens with the roster. But the Mavs still have a specific need to fill, and GM Nico Harrison will be as opportunistic as he can be.
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