Apr 9, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks center Daniel Gafford (21) and Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) in action 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

Mavericks to meet Lakers, Luka Doncic in 2025 NBA Cup

Originally posted on Dallas Mavericks on SI
By Austin Veazey | Last updated Jul 9, 2025 3:10 PM ET

The NBA Cup is still a relatively new concept in the NBA, but it adds a level of excitement to the early part of the regular season that the league needs. Last year, the Mavericks snagged the wild card for the Western Conference to advance to the knockout stage, but they lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder on the road and were eliminated.

Although the 2025-26 NBA regular season is still months away, the NBA has announced groups for the 2025 Emirates NBA Cup already, and there are a few juicy matchups for the Dallas Mavericks.

The 2025 Emirates NBA Cup Group Draw Results

Cup Nights will take place every Friday from 10/31 - 11/28 on Prime Video. pic.twitter.com/yQsuNxXk1R
— NBA on Prime (@NBAonPrime) July 9, 2025

Dallas will be in the same group as the New Orleans Pelicans, Memphis Grizzlies, LA Clippers, and, of course, the Los Angeles Lakers. All things considered, it's a fairly winnable group for the Mavs, as the Pelicans won't be competitive this season, the Lakers seem to have gotten worse, and the Clippers and Grizzlies are both beatable.

The NBA is going to love pitting the Lakers and Mavericks against each other for the foreseeable future as long as Luka Doncic is a Laker. February's trade sent shockwaves around the NBA and is a trade that will be talked about and referenced for decades.

The Clippers and Mavericks have had a fair number of playoff battles this decade already, but Luka Doncic was the driving force in most of those playoff series.

Memphis and Dallas met in the NBA Play-In Tournament last season, with the Grizzlies coming away with a dominant win to make the playoffs and knock Dallas out. However, because of that, the Mavericks were able to win the Draft Lottery and select Cooper Flagg first overall.

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

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