Mavs Open Door for Luka Doncic to Reunite With Ex-Teammate if Lakers Take a Crucial Gamble

With the NBA season inching closer, front offices are putting the finishing touches on their rosters—and the LA Lakers are no exception. The Purple and Gold have already been busy, adding Marcus Smart and Deandre Ayton to a core that looks much more balanced on paper. Still, even with those moves, there’s a sense that L.A. needs more depth to truly contend. And at this stage of the offseason, quality options are few and far between. But a recent shakeup in Dallas might just open the door to the kind of move that could elevate the Lakers from solid to serious threat.

Just a few days back, the Mavs announced that they’ve waived off former first-round pick, Olivier-Maxence Prosper, to make room for signing veteran guard Dante Exum. This move not only strengthened the Mavs (as they added Exum), but it also opened doors for the Lakers to reunite the young guard with his former teammate, Luka Doncic. While the 23-year-old guard hasn’t been able to prove himself so far after struggling with injuries, renowned Lakers journalist Trevor Lane thinks that he might be a useful asset for L.A.

Word of caution, that possibility makes sense only if Rob Pelinka and the rest of the front office are willing to gamble on the former first-round pick. “If you’re going to take a gamble on a veteran minimum player, this is the type of gamble that you want to take, right? Because if he hits, he will be immensely more valuable than a veteran minimum.” Lane suggested. “If and is it a high hit rate? Probably not. Again, not a great sign when you’re getting waived two years after, but you’d rather take a gamble on a potential defensive switchy wing than a guard.”

If the front office is still in the market looking to bolster their ranks, Olivier-Maxence Prosper should be the guy they should be taking a gamble on. Yes, with a poor average of 3.9 points last season in 52 appearances, the 23-year-old isn’t coming off a great season. But less of a skill and more of an injury issue, as injuries have kept him from development.

Just last season, Prosper had to go through a season-ending surgery to repair ligament damage on his right wrist. So, while his numbers might not be the best out of the handful of free agents left in the market, there are a lot of upsides if the Lakers take a gamble and sign the youngster, which could eventually become a win-win deal for L.A.

Nonetheless, for now, it’s just speculation; we’ll have to wait and watch whether the front office is ready to take this risk or not. Meanwhile, there might be another Mavericks star on L.A.’s radar with the new season just over the horizon.

Lakers eying another Mavs star to extend support to Luka Doncic

Despite us being so deep into the offseason, and Luka Doncic trying hard to keep Slovenia in the EuroBasket race, the Los Angeles Lakers continue to be linked to several top prospects all around the league. The most recent rumor has come from Bleacher Report, which has presented an idea to the Purple and Gold for unlocking a real frontcourt update. According to the proposed deal, L.A. would acquire big man Dereck Lively II and Caleb Martin from the Mavericks, in exchange for Austin Reaves and their 2031 first-round pick.

Not only will this trade reunite Luka Doncic with his former Dallas teammate Lively II, it will also give L.A. a young center who knows how to complement the Slovenian’s playing style. Seems like a great deal, right? Well, it is. However, the biggest roadblock in this deal would be shipping away Austin Reaves. The guard is someone whom the front office and even the fans hold in high regard and have been hesitant to trade away throughout the summer.

However, if they do somehow agree to trade AR, then this could be a masterstroke for the Lakers. Mostly, because Lively II can not only defend at a high level, but he can also space the floor pretty well, something that will be crucial for the Lakers to succeed next season. However, will the Lakers trade Reaves to facilitate their long-term goal and add Dereck Lively II to their ranks? That’s something which will be worth keeping an eye on, as the 2024-25 approaches us.