New Mock Trade Has Suns Landing No. 1 Overall Pick

What would it take for the Dallas Mavericks to trade away the No. 1 overall pick, which will presumably be used on Cooper Flagg, this summer?

Even though the Mavs have said they will not be entertaining trades for the No. 1 pick, ESPN proposed three mock trades that hypothetically could change their mind.

NBA insider Andre Snellings had an idea that sent Phoenix Suns star guard Devin Booker, who is pretty much viewed as the only untouchable player on Phoenix's roster, to Dallas for the first overall choice:

• Mavericks get: Devin Booker, 2025 first-rounder (No. 29), 2028 first-rounder (least favorable of own, Knicks and Wizards), 2029 first-round pick swap (least favorable of Cavs, Timberwolves and Jazz)

•  Suns get: 2025 No. 1 pick, Klay Thompson, P.J. Washington, Naji Marshall and Caleb Martin

Snellings first explained the trade from Dallas' side:

"The premise of this offer -- trading a potential NBA megastar -- is to underscore the Mavericks' need to improve their roster now. The (Luka) Doncic-for- (Anthony) Davis trade put the Mavericks in win-now mode anyhow, with a timeline tied around Davis, 32, and (Kyrie) Irving, 33, so it would behoove them to trade the future for the now. With those guidelines in place, trading for Booker would make a lot of sense.

"The Mavericks, as constructed, have elite big-man depth and a perennial All-Star point guard in Irving but could use another dynamic perimeter presence on the wing. Dallas will need an elite playmaker who can lead the team while Irving is out, but play next to him when he returns.

"Enter Booker, who was a first-team All-NBA shooting guard in 2021-22, and is squarely in his prime at 28 years old. A healthy core of Davis, Irving and Booker would be able to contend for championships immediately, and Booker would remain a centerpiece even as Davis and Irving start to age out of their primes. Add on that Dallas also gets some draft considerations in this deal."

He then discussed the hypothetical deal from Phoenix's vantage point:

"For the Suns, this offseason has the feel of a franchise that's ready to change everything and rebuild. Their attempt to win with a team featuring three pure scorers without enough supporting infrastructure didn't yield dividends, their salary cap situation is untenable and they have already traded away several future draft assets.

"It has been widely rumored that Phoenix will trade Kevin Durant this offseason as well, and if the Suns were to do that deal before this one, they might have more assets to sweeten the offer for Flagg. As is, getting Flagg's potential to be their franchise cornerstone for the next generation would be amazing value, even dealing Booker and all of the draft considerations they could move.

"In the hypothetical scenario in which Durant is moved before the draft, the Suns being able to include potential assets from such a deal would most likely allow them to make a more competitive offer than what is being suggested here."

After the Suns and Booker's history with Dallas, it would definitely be strange to see him in a Mavericks jersey at any point of his career.

It's also hard to see Phoenix depleting its already-limited future draft assets for Flagg, as well as going against what the organization has said about building around Booker.

However, it is already completely unknown how the Suns will look come next season with so many players on the trade block, highlighted by Durant. Getting a young prospect with the projected potential Flagg has could really change the course of the franchise if he really turns out to be one of the future faces of the league.

This trade is one of several avenues the Suns could explore if they really make Booker available, but that seems highly unlikely at this point.