Crazy 5 for 4 trading plan: Booker joins hands with Thick Eyebrow, Mavericks bet, chips make it difficult for the Sun to refuse

The Dallas Mavericks fell into a subtle situation of going into a dilemma after completing the deal between Doncic and Davis. This deal instantly ignited the anger of the fans, and doubts came like a tide. However, under the leadership of Anthony Davis, the team miraculously entered the play-offs and showed a certain degree of resilience. But injuries tangled with the Mavericks like a demon. In the life-and-death battle against the Memphis Grizzlies, the team suffered a heavy blow and the game situation collapsed instantly. What is even more worrying is that the two core players, Davis and Irving, have been suffering from injuries for a long time, which makes the Mavericks' hope of winning the championship become increasingly slim.

Just as the Mavericks fans were in despair, the team ushered in a moment of darkness at the draw - miraculously drew the first pick. With this, they are expected to recruit potential star Cooper Flag, who will bring the team a strong and low-paid ready-to-fight. Even so, however, this is not enough to guarantee that the team will immediately become a strong contender for the championship. Although there are many transaction proposals in the market, claiming that they can introduce suitable players and experienced veterans to the Mavericks to help the team win, the strength improvement brought by these proposals is simply a slim compared to the heavy deal proposed by ESPN. Next, let’s analyze the 5-for-4 deal proposal between the Mavericks and the Suns in depth.

Potential deal details

Dallas Mavericks will gain: Devin Booker, 2025 No. 29 draft pick, 2028 first-round draft pick (from the New York Knicks or Washington Wizards), 2029 first-round draft pick exchange (involving the Cleveland Cavaliers, Minnesota Timberwolves or Utah Jazz).

Phoenix Suns will get: 2025 No. 1 draft pick, Klay Thompson, PJ Washington, Najib Marshall and Caleb Martin.

Once this transaction is reached, it is very likely to trigger a reshuffle of the western pattern.

For the Mavericks, this deal is expected to become a key turning point in the team's championship strategy. Although Irving won't return to the arena until at least January 2026, the internal and external combination of Davis and Booker is already very competitive. Booker, the highly-profile young defender in the league, is in the prime of his career. At the age of 28, he is not only a top scorer, but also an excellent organizer, with powerful ability to turn the tide at critical moments. Last season, despite the overall poor performance of the Suns, Booker still averaged 25.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game, shooting as high as 46.1% from the field and 33.2% from three-point shooting percentage. Although he regrets not being selected into the All-Star lineup this season, his strength is fully qualified to be the core player of any championship team.

In the Mavericks, with Irving temporarily withdrawing from the rotation, Booker will naturally become the main driver of the team's offense. If the Mavericks can successfully introduce Booker's old partner Chris Paul in the offseason, the two will join hands again, which is expected to inspire Booker's best form. With Klay Thompson's departure, Booker will also be the No. 2 position of the team without any suspense.

It is worth mentioning that Booker's shortcomings in the defensive end will be greatly compensated for in teams with defensive players like Anthony Davis and Derek Lively II. On the offensive end, with Booker joining to share the offensive pressure, Davis will also gain more room for free and is expected to regain his dominance in the paint area. When Irving returns from injury, the Dallas Mavericks will have a luxurious lineup. Booker and Irving's double-gun in the backcourt, paired with Davis, is enough to allow the Mavericks to compete with any strong team in the Western Conference.

In addition to directly obtaining the star Booker, the Mavericks also gained valuable draft capital. The No. 29 draft pick at the upcoming draft, as well as the 2028 first-round draft pick and 2029 first-round draft pick swap rights, both provide more possibilities for the team's future development. Team management can choose to retain these draft picks based on actual conditions and tap potential new stars through the draft; they can also be used as bargaining chips to further adjust and optimize the team's lineup.

For the Suns, this deal means that the road to reconstruction will officially begin. They can recruit No. 1 Popular Flag, a young man who has spent an extremely outstanding season at Duke, has almost booked the No. 1 Popular with outstanding abilities and great growth potential. His arrival will inject strong momentum into the reconstruction of the Suns. The Suns will soon trade Kevin Durant, thus having enough cap space to continue to advance the team’s reconstruction plan.

During Flag's growth, four-time NBA champion Klay Thompson will become his important mentor. Although Thompson, 35, is no longer the courage of his time and is no longer the superstar who has both offense and defense, he still maintained efficient performance last season, averaged 14.0 points and 3.4 rebounds per game, and shot a 39.1% three-point shooting percentage. His extensive experience and outstanding leadership are undoubtedly a valuable asset for the Suns, who are in the rebuilding period.

In addition, the Suns also welcomed a young and reliable striker - PJ Washington. The 26-year-old averaged 14.7 points and 7.8 rebounds per game last season, shooting 45.3% from the field and 38.1% from three-pointers. Although Washington is likely to appear as a substitute, considering that the Suns' lineup is insufficient in the center position, the team may also allow him to take the No. 5 position and adopt small lineup tactics.. Meanwhile, Najib Marshall and Caleb Martin are also good role players additions to the Suns. The salaries of these two players are very cost-effective, especially Marshall, who made solid contributions to the Mavericks last season, averaging 13.2 points and 4.8 rebounds per game, and also showed outstanding strength on the defensive end. If the Suns decide to rebuild completely, they are all good bargaining chips and can continue to trade for draft picks. The deal provides the Suns with a clear framework for restructuring the lineup around Flag. With plenty of salary space and numerous expiring contracts, the Suns are expected to make a big move in the free agent market next summer, sign their favorite free agents, and even have the opportunity to introduce a superstar.

Overall, this transaction is undoubtedly a high-risk and high-reward gamble. For the Suns, Flag's development will undoubtedly become the team's core goal in the future. But the problem is that the team bets all the chips on Flag without an emergency plan, which is undoubtedly a risk. Once Flag's development is less than expected, it may be difficult for the Suns to recover from this predicament due to limited draft assets.

For the Mavericks, there is huge uncertainty about the time of Irving's return. Although Booker and Davis have a good combination, Davis's easily injured physique has always been a major hidden danger on the team's road to championships. Once Irving cannot return on time, Booker alone will take over the team's offensive banner and lack sufficient role players' support, the Mavericks will likely repeat the mistakes of last season.

To sum up, this seemingly attractive deal is actually full of uncertainty and risks. Before making the final decision, both teams need to carefully weigh the pros and cons and act cautiously, after all, this is related to the team's future direction.