Mavericks deal Cooper Flagg to in-state rival for guard help in trade proposal

ESPN's Zach Kram proposed a trade down of one position, with the first overall pick going to the San Antonio Spurs for the second overall pick, the 14th overall pick, a 2027 first-round pick from the Atlanta Hawks, and Dallas gets its 2030 pick swap back.

"The ultimate goal of this trade is to pair Flagg and Victor Wembanyama, the most-hyped No. 1 pick of the decade. They would be Tim Duncan and David Robinson for a new generation. And although the Spurs just missed out on winning the lottery, they have the assets that might entice Dallas to swap No. 1 for No. 2.

"What should it cost to move up at the top of the draft? In 2017, the Philadelphia 76ers needed to send only a single future first-rounder to Boston to jump from No. 3 to No. 1. But that's not an especially useful model here, because then-Celtics GM Danny Ainge didn't view Markelle Fultz, the consensus top prospect in 2017, as favorably as everyone views Flagg this year.

"So let's recreate an older draft trade to build the Spurs' offer.

"In 1993, the Warriors sent three future firsts to the Orlando Magic to facilitate a swap of No. 3 pick Penny Hardaway (Memphis) for No. 1 pick Chris Webber (Michigan). That sounds about right here, with Flagg filling in for Webber -- who, like Flagg, was a mega-prospect coming off a standout college career -- and Dylan Harper filling in for Hardaway as a big, dynamic guard.

"To bridge the gap between the prospects, San Antonio would send three draft assets to help Dallas replenish its rather barren draft hoard. The Mavericks would add a late lottery pick in the 2025 draft, a potentially attractive unprotected Hawks pick in 2027 and a return of their own 2030 swap rights, which they'd initially sent to San Antonio in the three-team sign-and-trade deal that brought Grant Williams to Dallas.

"This trade would make a ton of sense for San Antonio, which could establish its frontcourt of the future -- and, perhaps, the frontcourt that would dominate the NBA for the foreseeable future -- while not losing any of its own future draft selections. And as long as the Mavericks like Harper (or Ace Bailey, or VJ Edgecombe, or any other options at No. 2) anywhere close to as much as they like Flagg, this swap would also make a ton of sense for them."

The Mavericks would have to really like Dylan Harper for this to work, but it's not the worst offer. That Atlanta could be juicy, and getting control over the 2030 pick again would be big for a team that has a lot of older players and not a lot of future trade flexibility. Dallas does need point guard help until Kyrie Irving returns from his ACL injury, and Harper could slide over and play shooting guard once Irving is back.