One such hypothetical deal, proposed by Jackson Caudell of Sports Illustrated, involves three teams looking to address major weaknesses, particularly the Los Angeles Lakers and their lack of a reliable center.
While they give up Austin Reaves—their third-best offensive player—they acquire Dereck Lively II, one of the NBA’s most promising young centers.
Lively also has plenty of on-court chemistry with Luka Doncic, which could be valuable in Los Angeles’ retooled lineup.
The Lakers would retain their future draft picks and still have expiring contracts they can use in future trades to build around Doncic, Lively, and LeBron James.
Reaves, meanwhile, is eligible for a major contract extension, which may motivate the Lakers to move him now.
That said, a more realistic target for the Lakers could be Daniel Gafford, also from Dallas.
Even if it means overpaying, LA may prefer Gafford—another former Luka teammate—over navigating a more complex three-team deal.
Of course, this all assumes continued cooperation between the Mavs and Lakers, who recently completed the blockbuster Luka Doncic–Anthony Davis trade in February.
Whether Mavs GM Nico Harrison is willing to strike another major deal with Rob Pelinka remains to be seen.
Meanwhile, NBA insider Marc Stein has reported that the Atlanta Hawks could become active facilitators in the trade market this summer thanks to their financial flexibility.
