There is plenty of excitement surrounding the Dallas Mavericks at the moment. They landed the No.1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, getting a chance to draft Cooper Flagg with the No.1 overall pick. However, with Kyrie Irving likely to miss most of the 2025-26 season with an ACL injury in his left knee, the Mavs could pursue a trade to fill the void his absence will leave.
One potential scenario involves a proposed three-team trade from Jackson Caudell of Sports Illustrated featuring the Portland Trail Blazers, Atlanta Hawks, and Dallas Mavericks. The hypothetical deal would send dynamic scorer Anfernee Simons to the Mavericks, along with Terrance Mann.
The Hawks would get Robert Williams II and Matisse Thybulle. In contrast, the Blazers get Klay Thompson, P.J. Washington, Caleb Martin, Kobe Bufkin, Dwight Powell, a 2027 2nd round pick (from ATL, via CLE), a 2029 2nd round pick (from ATL, via CLE), and a 2031 top-eight protected 1st round pick (via Dallas).
Caudell illustrates why this move would be ideal for a Mavericks team looking to bolster its backcourt in the absence of Irving. At the same time, Mann brings another veteran presence to a team in win-now mode.
“Simons can fill in for Kyrie Irving for this season and help lead the Mavs’ offense. With Cooper Flagg, Anthony Davis, and Dereck Lively, Dallas has the infrastructure needed to protect Simons on defense,” Caudell wrote. ” Mann gives them a veteran wing to replace those they lost in the trade.”
Simons is superb offensively, averaging 19.3 points on 42.3% shooting from the field and 36.3% from three-point range. However, his lack of defensive prowess has been an ongoing concern throughout his career.
“They don’t believe Simons is worth sending out a protected first-round pick and valuable depth. Dallas is going to be looking around for a guard in the offseason and may not like that Simons is a bad defender,” Caudwell wrote.
The most valuable player here is PJ Washington, who is coming off another productive season. However, if the Mavs select Cooper Flag with the No. 1 overall pick and view him as a franchise cornerstone, it could likely lead to a dip in playing time for Washington if he remains with the Mavs.
On the other side, Thompson, at 35 years old, is owed $34 million, and while he is still capable of providing scoring and leadership, it is clear that his production has declined and could even benefit from a change of scenery.
The Mavs could offer the Blazers a mix of players and draft picks that could aid them throughout their rebuild.
