A blockbuster trade proposal has the Dallas Mavericks acquiring All-Star Donovan Mitchell in a monster four-team deal that would send the No. 1 pick (AKA Cooper Flagg) to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
After the controversial trade that sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, the Mavericks got tremendous serendipity by winning the 2025 NBA Draft lottery. Dallas will presumably keep the pick and draft can’t-miss Duke prospect Cooper Flagg, though GM Nico Harrison could be tempted to dangle the top selection for a proven superstar.
Dallas still has a strong core led by Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis, P.J. Washington and Klay Thompson. Adding Flagg to that mix will push them closer to title contention, but what if Harrison were to move out the franchise-changing pick for a big-named player like Donovan Mitchell?
ESPN’s Kevin Pelton proposed an astronomical four-team trade scenario involving the Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls. In Pelton’s proposal, Dallas would get Donovan Mitchell, a 2028 first-round pick (via Lakers), 2030 and 2031 first-round pick swaps (through LA).
The Cavs would get the top pick of 2025, Washington, Gabe Vincent, Jevon Carter, Daniel Gafford and Maxi Kleber. LA would get Jarrett Allen to bolster the front court, with the Bulls getting Caleb Martin, Dalton Knecht and second-round picks in 2026, 2027 and 2028:
“To quote Batman and George Costanza, “You want to get nuts? Come on, let’s get nuts.” Would the Cavaliers actually break up a team that posted the NBA’s second-best record (64-18) in pursuit of Flagg? Surely not, but if Cleveland believed that the loss to the Indiana Pacers exposed fatal flaws and if the Cavaliers felt recentering the roster around 23-year-old Evan Mobley was the right response, this move could help everyone involved.
For the Mavericks, Mitchell is a better fit than Antetokounmpo, who would crowd a frontcourt limited on shooting. Mitchell could start next season at point guard in place of Irving, then slide to the 2 when Irving returns. Dallas also comes out of this trade with the Lakers’ draft assets the team failed to collect in the Doncic deal, continuing to bet against how Doncic will age.”
“Why do we fall?” -Donovan Mitchell on IG pic.twitter.com/kyLBwHmg94
— Cavs Lead (@CavsLead) June 4, 2025
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Pelton’s proposal here spells win-win for all parties. Dallas, Cleveland and LA would shake up their cores and hopefully inch closer to a championship, while the rebuilding Bulls would get some extra roster depth and draft capital.
Donovan Mitchell Would Make Mavs Immediate Contenders
A trade involving the No. 1 pick and Mitchell is highly unlikely, but it’s still fun to dream of hypothetical scenarios. Dallas is accustomed to competing for championships, so it would make sense to make a win-now move and float the top pick for an established veteran like Mitchell to form a “big three” alongside Irving and Davis.
