The 2025 NBA Draft begins on June 25, which means that if any team wants to make any last desperate offers to take presumed No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg away from the Dallas Mavericks, they’ll have to work fast.
It’s been reported that the Mavericks have no intention of letting go of the draft rights to the top overall selection.
However, media members have still been coming up with trade proposals in recent weeks that would see Dallas giving up the opportunity to land Flagg.
Among them are ESPN insiders Andre Snellings, Bobby Marks, Kevin Pelton and Zach Kram, who crafted three blockbuster trade ideas in a piece published on Monday morning, involving the Mavericks passing on the former Duke superstar.
‘Premise’ of Trade Idea is to ‘Underscore the Mavericks’ Need to Improve Their Roster Now’
Snellings argued that the “premise” of one particular trade proposal in the article is to “underscore the Mavericks’ need to improve their roster now.” That deal involves the Mavericks and Phoenix Suns.
Here’s that offer:
– Mavericks receive: Devin Booker, 2025 No. 29 pick, 2028 first-round pick (least favorable of own, Knicks and Wizards), 2029 first-round pick swap (least favorable of Cavaliers, Jazz and Timberwolves
– Suns receive: 2025 No. 1 pick (presumably Flagg), Caleb Martin, Klay Thompson, Naji Marshall, P.J. Washington
For Dallas, landing Devin Booker would give the team another elite scoring threat alongside big man Anthony Davis and pair Kyrie Irving with a top-notch backcourt mate upon his return from injury.
“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,” Snellings wrote. “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.”
After making the Western Conference Finals in 2021, the Suns were bounced in the conference semifinals in 2022 and 2023, before exiting in the first round last year. The downward trend continued during the 2024-25 campaign and Phoenix finished 36-46 and failed to even qualify for the Play-In Tournament.
Now, the Suns may be looking to reset, and Booker — at 28 years old with four All-Star honors — is one of their most attractive trade pieces. The 35-year-old Klay Thompson would certainly be a downgrade from Booker, but he’s still a five-time All-Star and four-time champion who averaged 14.0 points per game and shot 39.1% on three-pointers this past season.
“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,” Snellings wrote.
Trade Proposal Potentially Impacted by Kevin Durant’s Future in Phoenix
The insider said that this trade also largely depends on the status of Suns 15-time All-Star Kevin Durant, who has been involved in trade rumors for months.
“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,” Snellings wrote. “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.”
