The Dallas Mavericks have not met expectations in Cooper Flagg’s rookie season, entering Friday night’s game with the Memphis Grizzlies at 2-6. Never one to rest on his laurels, Mavs GM Nico Harrison could eye a star addition to kickstart an offense under Jason Kidd that hasn’t taken off without primary ball-handler Kyrie Irving.
Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale pitched five targets for Dallas’s front office to pursue, and the most interesting was easily Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves, not only because he’d add yet another big-time offensive weapon, but because it’d mean Rob Pelinka and Nico Harrison did business again, not long after the infamous Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis trade.Favale’s price, a hot-shooting Max Christie, Derrick Lively II, and/or draft capital, wouldn’t break the bank. As Favale warns, though, Reaves’ eventual extension would.
“Acquiring anyone who can dribble stands to noticeably improve the Mavs’ offense. Landing Austin Reaves would transform it,” Favale wrote.
“Prior to missing time with a groin issue, the 27-year-old was averaging more than 30 points and nine assists per game while nailing over 60 percent of his two-pointers. The hype is not overblown. He isn’t a deadeye shooter, but he doesn’t need space to keep defenses on tilt with his change-of-pace handle and improved passing against double-teams and out of traffic.
“Adding Reaves’ interior finishing would be huge. He’s shooting 73 percent at the rim and 68 percent from floater range. The Mavs, meanwhile, don’t have a single non-big posting an above-average clip in the restricted area.
“A Reaves-Cooper Flagg duo has a ton of offensive upside on its own. Adding in Kyrie Irving will make it better. Reaves has shown he can remain impactful when he’s second or even third in the pecking order. Dallas must be wary of his 2026 free agency (player option). He could fetch near-max money. And that’s after having to give up some combination of Max Christie, Dereck Lively II and first-round equity.”
Reaves is probably one ball-handler too many in a lineup that includes Irving and Flagg. Still, his presence would bump D’Angelo Russell from his ball-handling role, just like what happened in Los Angeles. Only this time, Russell would go from fringe player to out of the rotation already, if he’s not used as salary fodder in the trade. That’s probably a positive for head coach Jason Kidd’s system. So would Reaves reuniting with Anthony Davis, whom he played well with in L.A.
Such a deal feels somewhat unlikely. Dallas needs to consolidate its depth somehow, but this is a big swing that adds long-term money that doesn’t make sense considering what’s already on the books.
