Lakers-Mavericks trade pitch swaps Dalton Knecht for $118 million nine-time All-Star, NBA champion
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Lakers-Mavericks trade pitch swaps Dalton Knecht for $118 million nine-time All-Star, NBA champion originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Another blockbuster trade involving the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks isn’t impossible.
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While Luka Doncic headlined the Mavericks when he was the face of the organization, there’s no question he played alongside several talented supporting cast members who are sure to garner interest during the 2026 offseason.
Nine-time All-Star and NBA champion guard Kyrie Irving is one of those contributors, and in NBA reporter Scoop B. Robinson's mind, the Lakers could acquire him by sending Dalton Knecht to Dallas.
“If the Lakers do intend to load up for a run, the only realistic avenue to execute an Irving dealwithout ridding themselves of Austin Reaves is bound tightly to Reaves’ impending free agency,” Robinson wrote Wednesday.
“Reaves holds a $14,898,786 player option for the 2026-27 season, which he is widely expected to decline. Because he has elevated his game to an All-Star level, Reaves believes he should be compensated accordingly. Because the Lakers cannot afford to lose Reaves’ production or leverage his contract in a trade, they must look elsewhere on the roster to match Irving’s salary.”
“To get Irving to Hollywood, LA, and the Mavericks could work to complete a sign-and-trade deal for Rui Hachimura for approx. $27.3 million and shipped him to Dallas alongside Jarred Vanderbilt, Dalton Knecht ($4,201,080), and included a 2028 first-round pick and a 2030 first-round pick for Irving.”
While it’s unclear what the Lakers’ 2026-27 starting lineup would look like with Irving, Doncic, and Reaves on the same roster (it’s unlikely JJ Redick would include all three players in his first unit), Robinson’s trade proposal would appease Doncic in more ways than one.
Doncic’s chemistry with Irving in Dallas was unmatched, as the two superstar guards complemented each other well for a brief period and never stepped on each other's toes while sharing the floor.
The Mavericks wouldn’t have advanced to the 2024 NBA Finals without it, and if the Lakers reunite Doncic with Irving without having to sacrifice one of his favorite current teammates, Reaves, it would be a massive victory.
Of course, Irving would have to stay healthy to help make his potential Lakers partnership with Doncic work, but it’s a risk Los Angeles may be comfortable taking.
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