The Dallas Mavericks were awarded the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery in the second-most surprising Mavericks-related storyline this season.
Read more: Mavericks Shockingly Win No. 1 Overall Pick in 2025 NBA Draft as GM Nico Harrison Gets Big Break
The first, of course, was the Mavericks trading then-25-year-old superstar Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers ahead of the trade deadline in one of the most surprising deals in NBA history.
The Mavericks felt that Doncic didn’t give them the best chance to win a title — despite the fact that they made the NBA Finals just a year ago — constantly repeating the phrase “defense wins championships” as the explanation for the deal.
Well, the Mavericks officially got their gift, as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft means an opportunity to select Duke star forward Cooper Flagg, who many believe to be a generational talent.
But what if they didn’t go that route?
The Mavericks are clearly in a win-now timeline, with Anthony Davis (32) and Kyrie Irving (33) leading the charge. While Flagg would give them a player to win both now and in the future, the Mavericks could also dangle the top pick in trade talks to land just about any player they want.
More news: Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes Reacts to Mavericks Winning Cooper Flagg Sweepstakes
Coincidentally enough, news dropped Monday morning out of Milwaukee, as ESPN’s Shams Charania reported two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo is open to exploring other teams to play for this offseason.
“The two-time NBA MVP has not made any firm decisions on his Bucks future after the franchise’s third consecutive postseason exit in the first round, but, for the first time in his career, Antetokounmpo is open-minded about exploring whether his best long-term fit is remaining in Milwaukee or playing elsewhere, league sources told ESPN,” Charania wrote.
While plenty of teams could make a compelling package to Milwaukee, it’s hard to imagine anything being more enticing than adding Flagg, the 19-year-old coming off a season in which he won the AP Player of the Year award, the Naismith Award and the Wooden Award at Duke.
A package centered around Flagg and contracts to make the money work would almost certainly get Milwaukee’s attention. On the flip side, Dallas would yet again be trading a young superstar to get one of the best bigs (and defenders) in the league.
Antetokounmpo, a nine-time All-Star, five time All-Defensive Teamer and the 2019-20 Defensive Player of the Year certainly fits the type of player Harrison and the Mavericks have said they coveted.
Could another shocking trade be in their future after some lottery luck on Monday?
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