Why The Dallas Mavericks Do The Deal 

Obviously, the Mavericks aren’t doing this deal to land Westbrook. 

At the same time, who knows? Westbrook could thrive in Dallas. For what it’s worth, they do need a secondary ball handler. If the Mavericks can stagger Doncic and Westbrook as much as possible, he could carry lineups where Doncic is resting. 

Still, the Mavericks are mostly after the Lakers’ draft capital here. In all likelihood, they won’t use it to select a player in five years. More likely, they’ll end up trading it themselves sooner than later. 

After all, the Mavericks are in win-now mode.

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Meanwhile, the Lakers are in dire straights. Their draft picks are among the most valuable assets in the NBA for that reason. 

Are they getting enough back here to part with them?