A Spicy 3-Team Trade Idea Involving LaMelo Ball, Kyrie Irving and LA Lakers
The Dallas Mavericks are challenging to project as an NBA franchise after shocking the world with the Luka Dončić trade. Anthony Davis (via the Los Angeles Lakers) looked incredible, briefly, before he was sidelined with an adductor strain. But the Mavericks’ season came crashing down when Kyrie Irving tore the ACL of his left knee.
The rest of the 2024-25 season is in serious jeopardy, and Dallas won’t get their All-Star point guard back for months. A typical return from an ACL injury—in this case for a player turning 33 this month—may be nine to 13 months. Irving may return to the court before then, but how long til he’s at full strength? Can the Mavericks afford to go into next season without a lead guard?
Could the team look to make another difficult decision, in this case, to bolster its offense by parting with Irving while adding a younger former All-Star LaMelo Ball? Can three teams (the Charlotte Hornets, Mavericks and Lakers) with a very divisive recent history come together on a complex offseason trade?
Full Trade Scenario1 of 4
Mavericks get:
- LaMelo Ball (from Hornets)
- Josh Okogie (from Hornets)
- DaQuan Jeffries (from Hornets)
- 2025 second-rounder (from Lakers)
- $6.6 million trade exception (Daniel Gafford)
- $2.6 million trade exception (Kyrie Irving)
Hornets get:
- Kyrie Irving (from Mavericks)
- Dalton Knecht (from Lakers)
- Maxi Kleber (from Lakers)
- 2025 first-rounder (from Mavericks)
- 2029 Lakers first-rounder (from Mavericks)
Lakers get:
- Daniel Gafford (from Mavericks)
Notes: This assumes Irving opts into the final year of his contract, which would also allow him to earn a $6.6 million trade bonus. Ball would earn an estimated $2.8 million trade kicker.
The Hornets would amend Okogie’s salary before the deal to fully guarantee his 2025-26 salary of $7.8 million. Jeffries’ salary would remain non-guaranteed. Charlotte also utilizes its non-taxpayer mid-level exception to take in Kleber’s $11 million expiring salary, leaving a usable balance of $3.1 million. That would also lock in a first-apron hard cap for the Hornets, but the team would likely stop spending below the luxury-tax line (projected at $187.9 million).
Why the Dallas Mavericks Do It2 of 4
In pivoting from Dončić to Davis, the Mavericks hoped to bolster its defense to a championship level. The tradeoff was Dončić’s top-tier offensive creativity for Davis’ elite defense and still high-level scoring. But now, the Mavericks are suddenly a team of defenders (when Davis is healthy) without a primary ball-handling guard.
The franchise can hope Irving returns by January to help make a playoff push, but it’s asking a lot of an older veteran to jump back in like the injury never happened. The clock is ticking, and Irving (who averaged 24.7 points and 4.6 assists per game) may not be the same player for a long while (if at all).
Ball is a 23-year-old, 6’7″ point guard. He’s averaging 25.8 points and 7.0 assists a game for a bad Charlotte Hornets team. Are the Hornets a bottom-feeding team each year because of Ball, or has the franchise let him down in roster building?
Dallas’ risk is between Irving returning to form quickly enough to salvage next season and Ball, surrounded by a tremendous defensive squad with plenty of complementary scorers and shooters, proving he’s a winning player in a much better situation.
The Mavericks also give up Gafford, essentially the team’s third center behind Dereck Lively II and Davis. All three are currently out with injury. Assuming Dallas’ 2025 first-round pick is in the 10-15 range, the franchise would theoretically choose Ball over a young prospect unlikely to help its immediate postseason goals. The 2027 first-round pick from the Lakers is also the price paid for a potential franchise guard in Ball.
Okogie and Jeffries give the team additional help on the wing. Dallas can stop spending below the luxury-tax threshold (projected at $187.9 million) or use its non-taxpayer mid-level exception (roughly $14.1 million) to supplement the roster.
Why the Charlotte Hornets Do It3 of 4
Multiple competing executives think the Hornets, under new ownership (Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall purchased the team from Michael Jordan in 2023) and leadership (Jeff Peterson took over for Mitch Kupchak in 2024), may look to strip down the roster to build around Brandon Miller, the team’s high lottery pick in June and another top selection in 2026.
Ball’s extension kicks in this summer at about $204 million over five seasons, and many around the league think Charlotte may look to move him. That’s the fundamental premise of the Dallas three-team concept, and in return for getting off a salary many teams wouldn’t touch, the Hornets get two first-round picks and a player they recently tried to acquire from the Lakers.
Getting the Hornets and Lakers to do business together again may be a challenge after Mark Williams failed his physical, voiding the deal that landed Knecht, a 2030 first-round swap and a 2031 first from Los Angeles. Here, the Hornets get Knecht, keep Williams and get a pair of firsts and a second.
Charlotte might want the Lakers’ 2032 second in the deal, the only other selection the Lakers can trade in July (assuming L.A. won’t give up 2031 for Gafford’s expiring contract). The team can also let Irving work his way back into shape to try to turn him around to a playoff contender by the February trade deadline.
Why the Los Angeles Lakers Do It4 of 4
The Lakers have shown they’re willing to trade Knecht for a center. Gafford will turn 27 before next season. He’s heading into the final year of his deal, which is a vastly different position than Williams in the failed trade (on his rookie-scale contract, extension-eligible this summer or a restricted free agent in 2026).
Gafford has experience playing alongside Dončić and should have comparable value to Knecht in trade. The Lakers give up a second-rounder (and possibly another in 2032 if that’s what it takes to get the Hornets back at the negotiating table). The harder sell may be convincing Dallas to reopen fresh wounds amongst its fanbase.
The political hurdles may be harder clear, but from a basketball perspective, the three-team deal could make sense if Dallas isn’t sure if Irving will be back quickly, views Ball as a potential franchise replacement on a roster with a stronger defensive foundation, and that the Hornets are truly looking (as competing executives speculate) to move on from the guard.
Source: https://bleacherreport.com/
