Apr 9, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison during the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Los Angeles Lakers at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Lakers trade talks with Mavericks’ Nico Harrison raise questions after Luka deal

Originally posted on Dallas Mavericks on SI
By Dustin Lewis | Last updated May 18, 2025 4:59 PM ET

The Dallas Mavericks are now in control of the 2025 NBA Draft with a little over a month remaining until the festivities begin in Brooklyn. Last week, the Mavericks struck gold after securing the No. 1 pick following an improbable climb in the lottery.

Barring an unforeseen move, Dallas will more than likely select former Duke star Cooper Flagg at the top of the draft in June. That could create a clog in the frontcourt with Flagg joining a roster that is projected to include Anthony Davis, Daniel Gafford, Dereck Lively II, P.J. Washington, and Dwight Powell.

If the Mavericks do bring in Flagg, it wouldn't be a surprise to see the team make a move in the trade market.

Dallas has already made one seismic deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, shipping Luka Doncic off to the West Coast in February in exchange for Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round pick. The Lakers are interested in upgrading their frontcourt this offseason.

The trade obviously delivered plenty of uproar around the league, especially close to home. In an instant, the Mavericks turned their own fan base against themselves. Calls for general manager Nico Harrison's job rang throughout home games, and some fans were even ejected from the American Airlines Center.

The anger persists even after more than three months and change have passed.

That's a big reason the LA Times' Dan Woike doesn't think it's likely the Mavericks and Lakers will engage in trade talks again this summer. The optics might simply be too much for Dallas, considering the recent ramifications.

"The trouble, of course, is that people around the NBA wonder how it would look if Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison engaged Pelinka and the Lakers on another trade after the last deal between the teams was so unpopular that it caused protests," Woike wrote.

Still, it might makes sense to at least explore options if the Mavericks are going to make a trade, something they didn't do in their last dealings with Los Angeles.

Gafford may be the odd man out with his contract set to expire following the 2025-26 season. Davis is under contract through 2026 and has a player option for the 2027 season while Lively II will be up for extension in the near future with two years remaining on his rookie deal.

Tha Lakers do have some interesting assets, including guard Austin Reaves. It remains to be seen if the two sides connect to pull off another trade.

This article first appeared on Dallas Mavericks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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