Latest news with #LukaDončić
New York Times
04-07-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Lakers chasing centers with midlevel exception
The veteran big man has an offer to play in Greece. Meanwhile, teams are discussing a potential seven-team trade. Darren Yamashita / Imagn Images Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images Armed with the $14.1 million mid-level exception, the Lakers are expected to chase Milwaukee Bucks center Brook Lopez and the Atlanta Hawks' Clint Capela, with the surprise addition of Portland Trail Blazers center Deandre Ayton as another target on their list. The Lakers are not making calls gauging Austin Reaves' trade value, one of the sources said. As free agency begins, the Lakers are motivated not to sacrifice long-term flexibility as they begin to arm themselves for a potential run at another superstar to pair with Luka Dončić as soon as next summer. Reaves, who turned down a nearly $90 million extension last week, is viewed as a key piece alongside Dončić, the star the team is building around in the present and future. Joe Ingles will sign a one-year, $3.6 million deal to return to the Minnesota Timberwolves, a team source confirmed. ESPN was first to report. Johnny Juzang — who will be released by the Jazz, per ESPN — has a BORD$ value of $2,831,914 and a salary of ... $2,840,000. I'm surprised the Jazz waived him with three non-guaranteed years still left on his deal, an extremely cap-friendly arrangement that would have set the Jazz up to use his contract in future trades or keep him as a cheap fifth guard. I bring all this up because any team with a trade exception worth at least $2.58 million can claim Juzang, 24, off waivers. His 2025-26 salary would be guaranteed, but the acquiring team would get two non-guaranteed years on top of that. Jaime Valdez / Imagn You can probably rule out the Toronto Raptors, now without a president of basketball operations, being too active in free agency, barring a trade that radically changes their financial circumstances. Assuming they let Jamison Battle's contract guarantee and sign second-round pick Alijah Martin at a deal starting at the minimum, they will have 14 players on guaranteed deals while butting right up against the luxury-tax threshold. Although they have some small-ball center options in Scottie Barnes, Jonathan Mogbo and ninth pick Collin Murray-Boyles, they could probably use a more traditional center behind Jakob Poeltl. However, that would take them into the luxury tax, even with just a minimum salary. It is not uncommon for teams to go into the year as a tax-paying team, deciding whether or not to duck below the threshold before the trade deadline. That is what the Raptors will probably do. Another option: trading Ochai Agbaji, who will be battling for minutes on the wing with Gradey Dick and Ja'Kobe Walter, into another team's midlevel exception. Agbaji is in the final year of his rookie contract, making $6.38 million this year. Agbaji had a nice season last year, and it is probably worth keeping him around and letting the three (plus, uhh, Battle) battle it out. Having some wing depth behind Brandon Ingram is a good idea, yes?. Moving Agbaji is an option, though, if they are concerned about letting this play out throughout the season. Justin Ford / Getty Images Oklahoma City Thunder All-NBA wing Jalen Williams will have wrist surgery this summer, team president Sam Presti said Monday. He is expected to be full healthy by the start of next season. Williams suffered a ligament tear in his wrist in a game against the Phoenix Suns late in the regular season and played through it during the playoffs, Presti said. The Thunder knew he would need surgery at the end of the season. Williams, 24, is eligible to sign a maximum contract extension this summer. Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images Nickeil Alexander-Walker, the 26-year-old Timberwolves guard, now seems likely to get more than the midlevel exception, most likely via sign-and-trade. How is this possible in a market where Brooklyn is the only cap space player? For one, that seems to no longer be the case. Detroit appears set to operate as a cap room team, one with $16.9 million in space right now that could increase via trade in the coming hours. But the other reason is Atlanta's $25 million trade exception from the Dejounte Murray trade. That exception is a potential avenue for the Hawks to move to the front of the line in sign-and-trade talks with Minnesota, which will not want to take back any money but would love a draft pick to replenish its coffers (not to mention a big trade exception of their own for next summer). Atlanta could even 'recycle' the exception for another 12 months by sign-and-trading Caris LeVert to a third team as part of the same transaction. The Hawks are currently $33 million below the tax line, so retaining LeVert while also signing NAW would seem a tight squeeze. Soobum Im / Getty Images Deandre Ayton is a surprise name on the market after his exit from Portland, but my BORD$ formula puts his number at $12,633,013 for the coming season, just below the projected nontaxpayer midlevel exception of $14.1 million. Ayton averaged 14.4 points and 10.2 rebounds in 40 games last season, but he projects more as a high-level backup than a starter at this point. He'll rebound and can slide his feet on the perimeter, but his low motor constantly frustrates, and offensively, he's all 2-point jump shots. He's not even a notably good shooter, and all the jumpers make him alarmingly allergic to free throws, with just one for every eight field goal attempts. Ayton shot 82 percent at the cup last season and was more offensively potent in his Phoenix years. Entering his age-27 season, can he get some of the back? Brooklyn's plan to re-sign Ziaire Williams to a two-year, $12 million contract with a second year team option, according to ESPN, means the Nets technically have $24 million in cap room remaining. But that amount can be more than doubled by renouncing cap holds on Day'Ron Sharpe, Trendon Watford and Cam Thomas, waiving three small non guaranteed contracts and moving Williams' money into their room exception. The correct answer too how much room the Nets have is still 'whatever they need.' Michael Reaves / Getty Images On Friday, the Chicago Bulls traded Lonzo Ball straight-up to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Isaac Okoro. Once again, no draft picks are coming the Bulls' way. For the second straight summer, the Bulls did a favor for a contending team and received the bare minimum in return. The failures of this front office to sustain a competitive team and their disregard for a common-sense approach to rebuilding have again made the team a curiosity in the NBA and an object of ridicule in Chicago. Last year, the Bulls dealt Alex Caruso, their most valuable trade chip, to the Oklahoma City Thunder for point guard Josh Giddey, whom the Thunder were looking to move. Caruso was the kind of player OKC needed to win a title, and lo and behold, it worked out exactly as planned. This time around, Cleveland, which should battle Indiana as the top team in the East next season, was looking to get out of the last two years of Okoro's three-year, $33 million deal and add a backup point guard capable of meaningful minutes. We'll see how that unfolds this season. Read the rest of my column in the link below below. GO FURTHER Did Bulls take step forward or step back? They're in same place they always are Troy Taormina / Imagn As the Phoenix Suns rebuild their roster, adding size, length and toughness, their success next season likely will come down to a key question: How will players wired to score like Devin Booker and Jalen Green co-exist in the same backcourt? Booker, 28, is an organizational pillar, eligible this summer for a two-year extension worth $150 million that will keep him in place through the 2030-31 season. He is Phoenix's career scoring leader and arguably one of the top 15 players in the league. The problem is that Booker was not at his best last season. Although he put up substantial numbers, his shooting percentages were among the worst of his career. He needs to rebound. Green, 23, is the centerpiece of a recent trade that sent superstar Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets. Once one of America's top high school prospects, the athletic 6-foot-4 guard skipped college and played a season for the G League Ignite before the Rockets selected him with the No. 2 pick of the 2021 draft. Green played in Houston for four seasons, averaging 20.1 points and 3.4 assists. To better understand how this might work, The Athletic spoke with four coaches who have worked with Green at the professional level, as well as a 10-year NBA veteran who serves as a television analyst for the Rockets. Their experiences with Green reveal his path to this point, and it might provide a glimpse of his future. Read on for their answers. GO FURTHER How Jalen Green and Devin Booker can co-exist in a Suns backcourt and reversal Ethan Miller / Getty Images Because the Bucks moved themselves under the prohibitive second apron at last season's trade deadline by moving Khris Middleton and AJ Johnson to the Wizards for Kyle Kuzma, they will have a full set of salary cap exceptions at their disposal this offseason. That will be undeniably helpful as the Bucks have a large group of their own free agents that they would like to retain, but in another way, it will also limit what they can ultimately spend. If a team uses the non-taxpayer midlevel exception ($14.1 million) and spends more of it than the taxpayer midlevel exception ($5.7 million), that team is hard-capped at the first apron, which means they cannot exceed the first apron at any point in the 2025-26 season. So, as we go through the Bucks' free agents, it is important to note that using the non-taxpayer midlevel exception would put a cap on how much the Bucks can spend. But that might not end up being the only cap put on the Bucks' spending this offseason. Per league sources, there is some belief around the NBA that the Bucks would like to avoid the luxury tax this upcoming season. As we showed above, that would mean roughly $5.6 million less in spending power for the team this offseason. As we will show below, the Bucks' real feelings on this issue will likely be tested quickly because their free agent spending power is somewhat limited, now that they've agreed to a new contract with Bobby Portis. Read more in my Bucks free agency primer. GO FURTHER Bucks free agency primer: After retaining Bobby Portis, what's next for Milwaukee? David Berding / Getty Images With Naz Reid and Julius Randle in place, the Wolves will likely have to say goodbye to their other key free agent. Nickeil Alexander-Walker has likely priced himself out of Minnesota, which is trying to stay under the second apron to avoid repeater penalties on roster construction. Alexander-Walker is expected to land a deal for at least the nontaxpayer midlevel exception, and possibly higher, which is too rich for the Wolves to go to and not go over the second apron. The Wolves do have a few young guards and wings, including Terrence Shannon Jr., Jaylen Clark and Rob Dillingham, who the team believes are ready to step in and take Alexander-Walker's minutes should he move on. The Atlanta Hawks, Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Clippers, Detroit Pistons and Miami Heat are among a number of teams to watch in the hunt for Alexander-Walker. The Wolves have very little room to operate under the second apron as free agency is set to open on Monday. They declined options on center Luka Garza and forward Josh Minott to open up a little bit more wiggle room, giving them access to the taxpayer midlevel exception of $5.7 million. But the Wolves would only use it if they felt the player would make a real impact because of how close it would take them to the second apron and hamstring them next season if injury woes hit. Adding another ball-handler would be a priority with Alexander-Walker's likely exit. The Wolves could also look at adding another traditional center to play behind Gobert. Garza could also return on a minimum deal, team sources said. The Utah Jazz tendered a qualifying offer to center Oscar Tshiebwe, league sources tell The Athletic. This will make the former Kentucky star a restricted free agent The Jazz declined a qualifying offer on center Micah Potter, making him an unrestricted free agent Harry How / Getty Images There was no retirement announcement, no planning of a farewell tour. But yesterday's news that LeBron James opted into the final year of his contract — a first for him — made one thing extremely clear: This is the beginning of the end for maybe the best player to ever grace a basketball court. It's a fascinating double dose of reality, because of course a 40-year-old player entering his 23rd season is about to retire. James will become the longest-tenured NBA player ever this year, by both season total (23, topping Vince Carter's 22) and games played (he's 49 games behind Robert Parish's total of 1,611 games). But also … I don't think I ever truly expected James to retire, only because of how unremarkable his longevity has become. His career has spanned seven presidential terms now. LeBron playing in the NBA is just a part of the fabric of our reality. Yet it will come to an end — at some point. Read on for a quick explainer on where we are. This is an excerpt from The Pulse, The Athletic's daily newsletter. Sign up here to receive it in your inbox. Ronald Martinez / Getty Images You know how you can tell the Los Angeles Lakers' Luka Dončić era has officially begun? Because LeBron James had one of his classic media moments, with his longtime agent, Rich Paul, explaining James' decision to pick up his $52.6 million player option for next season in the kind of way that would have caused concern for his employer in years past, and it was met with the organizational equivalent of a shrug emoji. His leverage isn't what it once was these days, and that has everything to do with Dončić. 'LeBron knows the Lakers are building for the future, and he also wants to compete for championships,' Paul told The Athletic and ESPN. 'We understand the difficulty in winning now while preparing for the future. We do want to evaluate what's best for LeBron at this stage in his life and career. He wants to make every season he has left count, and the Lakers understand that, are supportive and want what's best for him. We are very appreciative of the partnership that we've had for eight years with Jeanie (Buss) and Rob (Pelinka) and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career.' Only time will tell if this will be remembered as an early goodbye letter, but the tone of the messaging was such that it's fair to wonder how the LeBron-Lakers partnership will go from here. Read more on the current dynamic between James and the Lakers. GO FURTHER LeBron James' contract decision marks major Lakers shift — toward Luka Dončić Winslow Townson / Getty Images Denver Nuggets owner Josh Kroenke has had a difficult week. While discussing the limitations for teams that venture into the second apron, a payroll threshold well above the luxury tax that restricts the types of transactions an organization can make, Kroenke dropped what most fans consider a no-no. He referenced a three-time MVP, Nikola Jokić, and the word 'trade' in the same sentence. 'For us as an organization, going into that second apron is not necessarily something that we're scared of, (but) I think that there are rules around it that we needed to be very careful of with our injury history,' Kroenke told reporters on hand. 'The wrong person gets injured, and very quickly you're into a scenario that I never want to have to contemplate, and that's trading No. 15 (Jokić). 'We're very conscious of that, pushing forward, providing the resources that we can when the moment arrives. But that second apron — is it a hard cap? I'm not 100 percent sure. But it's something that teams are very aware of.' The reaction to Kroenke's honesty was not kind. Jokić is the NBA's consensus best player. How could an owner, especially one with a reputation of not wanting to spend money, possibly mention even in passing the thought of trading the greatest star in the franchise's history just because of a lowly payroll milestone? Such penny-pinching should be only for the paupers! The answer is because the second apron — even if it does trigger extravagant tax payments — is not just about the extra dollars. Read more about the impact of the second apron in my free agency notes column. GO FURTHER NBA offseason themes to watch: Pacers' roster-building, second-apron fears and more The Trail Blazers parting ways with Deandre Ayton was long in the works. His two-year tenure in Portland was marred by tardiness, tantrums and injuries, which in part led to Portland using its last two first-round picks on centers. Apparently unable to unload his expiring $35.6 million salary, the Blazers are negotiating a contract buyout, according to league sources. In 95 games with Portland, Ayton averaged 15.7 points and 10.7 rebounds, but he was unreliable on and off the court. On the court, he was sometimes benched because of effort, which led to sideline and locker room tantrums, and off the court, he was fined multiple times for being tardy to practices. He also sometimes blew off rehabilitation appointments while recovering from knee and calf injuries. He was a loud and light personality in the locker room and seemed well-liked by his teammates, but it was clear the organization didn't view him as a building block for its rebuild. Last season, Portland used the No. 7 pick on center Donovan Clingan, and this season, the Blazers selected Chinese center Yang Hansen with the 16th pick. Coach Chauncey Billups on Friday said the 7-foot-2 Yang is so talented that he will, without question, play this season, even though he is only 20. The Blazers at center also have veteran Robert Williams III and Duop Reath. In the past two seasons, Williams has appeared in only 26 games because of knee injuries, and Reath averaged 4.2 points in 46 games. GO FURTHER NBA Draft surprise: China center Yang Hansen picked at No. 16, dealt to Blazers Alika Jenner / Getty Images The Deandre Ayton buyout news is shocking, if only because Portland loses out on the possibility of dangling a $35 million expiring contract in any trade talks during the season. Depending on the size of the the haircut in his buyout, it likely affords Portland the ability to use its entire nontaxpayer midlevel exception to bring in another guard or wing who can shoot. Minus Ayton, one presumes that Robert Williams (for the 28 or so games he's healthy) and 2024 lottery pick Donovan Clingan (for all the others) will man the center position, with 2025 first-rounder Hansen Yang in reserve. Page 2
New York Post
03-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
Luka Doncic contract decision ‘most important' domino in NBA offseason: insider
Luka Dončić's future is hanging over the NBA offseason. During an appearance on 'NBA Today' Thursday, ESPN's Brian Windhorst said all eyes are on the Lakers superstar, who is due for a contract extension this summer. 'I almost would argue the most important thing in the whole NBA this summer is Luka Dončić, whether he extends or not, because that frames so much of what the Lakers are going to do, and frankly, the whole league would do,' Windhorst said. 'So, I don't want to put too much pressure on it, but the Lakers really need to get him locked down, even if it's for a couple of years to verify that he's bought into what they're doing,' added Windhorst. Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) reacts during the second half in game five of first round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Arena. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect In early August, Doncic will become eligible to sign a four-year, $228 million extension with the Lakers. He will become an unrestricted free agent in 2026-27 if the two sides can't come to terms on a deal, setting up what could be a historic sweepstakes for Dončić's services. The Dončić decision looms as fellow Lakers star LeBron James' name is swirling in trade rumors. James opted into his $52.6 million deal for next season, but his agent Rich Paul hinted that he could push for a trade if he doesn't like what he sees from Lakers GM Rob Pelinka this offseason. The Lakers have filled in their roster around Dončić and James, signing center Deandre Ayton and Jake LaRavia to free agent deals. Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) moves the ball against Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels (3) and center Rudy Gobert (27) during the first half in game five of first round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Arena. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect The franchise is also facing an uncertain future with guard Austin Reaves, who declined a max extension worth $89.2 million over the next four seasons with the team last month. On top of everything going on with the roster, the Lakers were sold for approximately $10 billion — the largest sale ever of a U.S. pro sports franchise — to businessman Mark Walter, ending 46 years of majority ownership by the Buss family.
New York Times
30-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
LeBron James' contract decision marks major Lakers shift — toward Luka Doncic
You know how you can tell the Los Angeles Lakers' Luka Dončić era has officially begun? Because LeBron James had one of his classic media moments, with his longtime agent, Rich Paul, explaining James' decision to pick up his $52.6 million player option for next season in the kind of way that would have caused concern for his employer in years past, and it was met with the organizational equivalent of a shrug emoji. His leverage isn't what it once was these days, and that has everything to do with Dončić. Advertisement 'LeBron knows the Lakers are building for the future, and he also wants to compete for championships,' Paul told The Athletic and ESPN. 'We understand the difficulty in winning now while preparing for the future. We do want to evaluate what's best for LeBron at this stage in his life and career. He wants to make every season he has left count, and the Lakers understand that, are supportive and want what's best for him. We are very appreciative of the partnership that we've had for eight years with Jeanie (Buss) and Rob (Pelinka) and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career.' Only time will tell if this will be remembered as an early goodbye letter, but the tone of the messaging was such that it's fair to wonder how the LeBron-Lakers partnership will go from here. The speculation was rampant all around the league when news of James' decision broke, with rival executives wondering if this was a precursor to a trade request (James, remember, has a no-trade clause and could thus control any such move). Or, of course, it could be yet another attempt to apply pressure to the front office to find a way to add impactful talent. Either way, it's becoming increasingly clear that — even if James doesn't retire next summer — this could be his last season in a Lakers uniform. While the Lakers most certainly care about how James' final chapter goes, and would love nothing more than to celebrate the 40-year-old's legendary career all season long before he headed off into the proverbial sunset, any plans that go beyond that point present roster-building problems when it comes to paving a path forward with the 26-year-old Dončić. That's the uncomfortable truth that was laid bare Sunday. So long as they're able to secure Dončić's signature on an extension when he's eligible on Aug. 2, as is widely expected, then every move from there must be made with a long-term view in mind. As such, the notion of the Lakers committing to James at a max-salary level beyond this season was clearly seen internally as unwise. Advertisement Team sources say James and the Lakers did not discuss deals that would have added years to his Lakers tenure that began in 2018, either by way of extension or with him opting out and signing a new deal. Conversely, James and his camp signaled months ago that there would be no discounts offered this time around (the Lakers, team sources say, didn't propose any sort of discounted deal out of respect for James). If the Lakers have any hope of staying nimble in the crucial years to come, and potentially adding the next co-star to put alongside Dončić after James is gone, then it behooves them to maintain as much flexibility as possible. The second-apron realities of today's NBA mean that elite talents could shake loose at any time, with owners who pushed for this virtual hard cap now facing its grave consequences. There are already star-player situations brewing that teams like the Lakers are surely monitoring, chief among them Giannis Antetokounmpo and his uncertain future with the Milwaukee Bucks. Just last week, Denver president and governor Josh Kroenke was highlighting the dangers that come with this salary-cap system and opined — unsolicited, mind you — about a nightmare scenario in which the Nuggets might one day be forced to trade three-time MVP Nikola Jokić. Any team that is stuck in second-apron hell when those sorts of opportunities arise is, for all intents and purposes, disqualified from participation. And then there's the Austin Reaves factor to consider in this Lakers calculus. As our Dan Woike first reported Thursday, the 27-year-old guard turned down the Lakers' four-year, $89.2 million extension offer last week (which was the max they could offer him) and is headed toward unrestricted free agency next summer. If the Lakers ultimately decide to try and keep Reaves a year from now, when he could be in line for a deal that's much larger than the one he turned down, they'll need those books to be as clean as possible. And even if they trade him for an impact big man this summer, as is certainly possible, then there's a good chance they'd need that wiggle room to hold on to that player for the foreseeable future as well. The Lakers' choice to prioritize basketball business beyond James isn't personal, but it is a matter of how they view the younger personnel. To that end, it would behoove them to either find a way to hold onto 32-year-old forward Dorian Finney-Smith (who opted out of his deal Sunday) or find a way to replenish what was lost if he heads elsewhere in free agency. When it comes to holding onto Dončić's confidence in the plan ahead, and getting off to a great start in this Mark Walter era that began with his $10 billion purchase of the storied franchise from the Buss family earlier this month, those are the kinds of moves that matter most in the here and now. Dorian Finney-Smith is opting out of the final year of his $15.4 million contract and will become an unrestricted free agent. Lakers and DFS could still work to find a deal, but as a Plan B option, LAL will have access to full mid-level exception if Finney-Smith signs elsewhere — Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) June 29, 2025 For LeBron's purposes, the tricky part is that the grass isn't always greener somewhere else (and even if it is, it's not quite as easy to get there as it was so many years ago). While the Lakers aren't title contenders at the moment — as their first-round flameout against the Minnesota Timberwolves made clear — there's reason to believe that a full season with Dončić, James, Reaves and all the rest of their holdovers will lead to significant growth. Advertisement Add in the fact that LeBron gets to play another season with his son, Bronny, all while living in his preferred location in Los Angeles, and there are all sorts of reasons for him to ride this out with a smile on his face and simply figure out how he feels about his hoops future a year from now. Especially considering his remarkable legacy, from this vantage point, is already set in stone. (Photo of LeBron James and Luka Dončić: Luke Hales / Getty Images)
Al Arabiya
29-06-2025
- Sport
- Al Arabiya
LeBron James formally opts in for a 23rd season, will make $52.6M in 2025-26, AP source says
LeBron James is exercising his $52.6 million option with the Los Angeles Lakers for 2025–26, further confirming that he will become the first player in NBA history to play a 23rd season, a person with knowledge of the decision said Sunday. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because neither James nor the team announced the decision publicly. ESPN and The Athletic were among those to first report the decision. James, who recently returned to on-court workouts after taking several weeks to recover after spraining a knee ligament in the Lakers' final game of this past season's playoffs, told the AP earlier this month that he expected to be ready for training camp. That was an obvious sign he planned on returning for a 23rd year – one in which he'll break a tie with Vince Carter for longest NBA career by a player. 'I have a lot of time to take care of my injury, my knee, the rest of my body and make sure I'm as close to 100 percent as possible when training camp begins in late September,' James said in that interview. If any doubt existed even after that about James, the NBA's oldest current player, coming back for at least one more season, it's gone now. He had until Sunday afternoon to make his decision on the option, one that pushes his career on-court earnings to about $580 million. This coming season will be his first full year with Luka Dončić as a teammate. Dončić was traded to the Lakers from Dallas in February, but the team – which entered the postseason as the No. 3 seed in a loaded Western Conference – still fell in Round 1 to Minnesota. James turns 41 in December. He's been an All-NBA pick in 21 of his 22 seasons in the league, including a second-round nod this past season. No other player has more than 15 All-NBA selections. He averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 8.2 assists this past season. The NBA's all-time scoring leader has appeared in 1,562 regular-season games, 49 behind Robert Parish's mark of 1,611 – the most in league history. If healthy, James would obviously figure to break that mark this coming season.
Al Arabiya
26-06-2025
- Sport
- Al Arabiya
Cooper Flagg Is Official In What Is Becoming Quite The Duke Plan For The Mavericks
The Duke plan is coming together nicely for the Mavericks. As expected, Dallas took Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft on Wednesday night. The sudden fortune of winning the lottery with a 1.8 percent chance officially paid off about 24 hours after the Mavs agreed on a new contract with Kyrie Irving. The nine-time All-Star guard was the top pick out of Duke 14 years ago. Once Irving returns from a torn ACL, probably two or three months into next season, a healthy Dallas starting lineup is likely to include three one-and-done Blue Devils. The Mavs got center Dereck Lively II with the 12th overall pick in 2023. Dallas won the lottery May 12, a little more than three months after the seismic trade of young superstar Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis, a move that enraged most of the fan base. Irving's injury March 3 against Sacramento actually played a role in Dallas ending up with Flagg. It all but ended any realistic playoff hopes for the Mavs, with Davis already sidelined by a groin injury sustained in his Dallas debut a little less than a month before Irving went down. Davis returned, and the Mavericks secured the last spot in the play-in tournament as the 10th seed in the Western Conference, a year after losing to Boston in five games in the NBA Finals. Dallas won at Sacramento before losing at Memphis with the No. 8 seed in the playoffs at stake. A win there would have kept the Mavs out of the lottery. There was never much question that Irving would return, and the move was expected when he declined his $43 million player option for 2025–26 and agreed to a $119 million, three-year deal with a player option in the final season. Irving also signed a three-year deal with a player option the offseason after he joined the Mavs in a trade with Brooklyn. The idea was to pair him with Dončić for deep playoff runs, but Dallas missed the postseason in 2023 before reaching the finals for the first time since 2011 last year. Davis and Irving both have player options in 2027–28, when Flagg will be entering the third year of his rookie deal. Flagg is the second No. 1 overall pick in Dallas franchise history. The Mavericks took Mark Aguirre out of DePaul in 1981. Flagg's coach, Jason Kidd, was the second overall pick by the Mavs in 1994.
