2025 NBA Offseason Preview: Dallas Mavericks
For basketball fans outside of Dallas, it has become easy to forget that the Mavericks were the Western Conference's representative in the NBA Finals less than one year ago. It feels like another lifetime ago, given everything that has gone down in Dallas not just since last June, but in the past four months alone.
In an alternate universe, the Mavericks had a solid but unspectacular 2024/25 season en route to another playoff appearance. In that universe, Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving led Dallas to a first-round victory - or at least a competitive first-round series - but couldn't get the team back to the Finals. In that universe, the Mavs own, say, the No. 20 pick in the NBA draft and we'd be talking now about whether they might include that pick in a trade package to acquire another veteran player who could solidify their place as a legitimate contender as they prepare to put a super-max offer on the table for Doncic.
That's not the universe we live in though. In this one, Mavericks president of basketball operations Nico Harrison shocked the basketball world - all of the sports world, really - by trading Doncic to the Lakers in February without any advance warning, giving up the chance to lock up a perennial First-Team All-NBA player for the long term.
Harrison's thinking in that trade, which sent Anthony Davis and Max Christie to Dallas, was that it would make the Mavericks better equipped for title contention in the short term, even if it might shrink their championship window in the long run. So it was a serious problem when Dallas' rotation was decimated by injuries shortly after they acquired Davis.
You could make a case that the Mavericks' string of major injuries was simply bad luck, and there's certainly some truth to that. But Davis has admitted he probably came back too early from the adductor injury he was recovering from at the time of the trade. His eagerness to quell the fan unrest in the days following the Doncic trade likely factored into the decision to rush his Mavs debut. And even though Irving's ACL tear was more about taking one wrong step than persistent overuse, his spike in usage rate without Doncic likely increased his injury risk.
This isn't to say that the Doncic trade can be blamed for everything that went wrong in Dallas for the rest of the season, but it did seem to create a domino effect that saw things go from bad to worse for the Mavs down the stretch, scuttling any hopes they had of repeating their NBA Finals appearance -- which is why it was such an incredible boon for the organization to win the draft lottery earlier this month.
There will be Mavs fans who never forgive the organization for the decision to trade Doncic, but short of winning a championship, getting the opportunity to replace him with an elite 18-year-old prospect like Cooper Flagg is the best-case scenario the club could have hoped for after pulling the trigger on that controversial deal nearly four months ago.
Suddenly, a team that looked in danger of becoming too old and injury-prone to vie for a title has a reason for long-term optimism again. Now, it's up to Harrison to do what he can to earn back at least some level of trust from Mavs fans who felt burned by him in February. With the right moves this summer, the idea of Dallas reemerging as an NBA Finals threat next season doesn't feel quite so far-fetched.
The Mavericks' Offseason Plan
While the majority of the Mavericks who suffered second-half injuries were able to return before the end of the season and should be just fine this fall, Irving is the glaring exception. His recovery from ACL surgery is expected to extend well into 2025/26, which creates two significant issues for the Mavs -- they need to determine how to handle his contract situation this summer while also adding a player capable of filling in at the point during Kyrie's lengthy recovery process.
Shams: LeBron James Likely To Opt In For 2025/26
Asked during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday about LeBron James‘ future, ESPN’s Shams Charania said the Lakers star appears likely to exercise his $52.6MM player option for the 2025/26 season (YouTube link).
“I’m told he’s likely to opt in. … That’s likely, that’s the plan,” Charania said. “But his option date is June 29, so he still has about a month to figure it out. There’s going to be some hard conversations that are going to happen between him (and) the Lakers, seeing what this team looks like. Because whether he plays one more season or a few more seasons, he wants to be in a competitive environment.
“… He’s probably going to opt in because the option is so big. And then that gives you flexibility to figure out, do you extend off that number or…if this is the last hurrah, essentially.”
When the Lakers’ season came to an end a few weeks ago, James expressed uncertainty about his NBA future and didn’t confirm that he’d return to Los Angeles in 2025/26 or even continue his playing career at all.
However, it has always seemed highly unlikely that James would announce his retirement this summer, and there has been no indication in recent years that he has any interest in leaving L.A., despite some up-and-down seasons during his time with the Lakers. With Luka Doncic now in the picture, there’s a newfound reason for optimism for the franchise, seemingly reducing the odds of a LeBron exit.
[RELATED: LeBron James Says MCL Sprain Is ‘Getting Better’]
Given that context, Charania’s report makes sense, though it’s worth noting that if he opts in, James would be earning less than his maximum salary (projected to be $54.1MM) and wouldn’t have the ability to sign an extension before that contract expires next summer. So even if he wants to just commit for one more season with the Lakers and then leave his options open in 2026, he could still end up turning down his player option in order to sign a new one-year contract.
Assuming James returns for the ’25/26 season, it would be his 23rd year in the NBA, which would be a new league record. LeBron’s 22 seasons in the NBA puts him in a tie with Vince Carter for the current mark.
Florida’s Alex Condon Among Latest To Withdraw From Draft
Florida big man Alex Condon is removing his name from the 2025 NBA draft pool and returning to the Gators for his junior year, he informs Jonathan Givony of ESPN. Condon was a member of the team that won a national championship last month and will be looking to pull off the feat again next season.
[RELATED: 2025 NBA Draft Early Entrants List]
“It’s a really good situation waiting for me there,” Condon said. “A great coach with Todd Golden. Teammates I won a national championship with. I have great chemistry with those boys. We have a good transfer class coming in. I expect guys to make a leap. My big man coach Carlin Hartman is returning, so I will keep developing my game with him.”
A 6’11” forward/center from Australia, Condon was elevated to Florida’s starting lineup as a sophomore in 2024/25 after coming off the bench as a freshman. In his second college season, he averaged 10.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.3 blocks in 24.9 minutes per contest in 37 games (35 starts), earning third-team All-SEC honors.
Condon conducted private workouts for eight NBA teams during the pre-draft process, he told Givony. The big man was the No. 31 prospect in the last update of ESPN’s big board, though in today’s news story, Givony refers to him as ESPN’s No. 38 player. Either way, Condon was far from a lock to be a first-round pick, which factored into his decision to return to school.
Condon is one of several draft prospects reported in recent hours to be withdrawing from the NBA draft. Here are a few others:
- After testing the draft waters following his freshman season, guard Joson Sanon is headed back to school, reports Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports (Twitter link). Sanon, who averaged 11.9 points per game on .422/.369/.714 shooting for Arizona State in 2024/25, is transferring to St. John’s for his sophomore year.
- Ohio State guard Bruce Thornton has officially withdrawn from the draft and is rejoining the Buckeyes for one more season, a source tells Rothstein (Twitter link). As a junior in 2024/25, Thornton put up 17.2 points, 4.6 assists, and 3.4 rebounds per game in 32 outings (all starts), earning a spot on the All-Big Ten second team.
- Forward Devon Pryor, who is transferring from Texas to Oregon for his junior year, is opting out of the draft, per Jon Chepkevich of DraftExpress (Twitter link). Pryor didn’t see much action for the Longhorns last season, averaging just 12.1 minutes per game in 23 appearances.
- Elijah Fisher, a 6’6″ wing, has withdrawn from the draft and will join his fourth school in four years, according to Chepkevich (Twitter link). After spending one season apiece with Texas Tech, DePaul, and Pacific, Fisher has committed to Seton Hall for the 2025/26 campaign.
- Chris Howell is exiting the draft and transferring from UC San Diego to New Mexico, reports Chepkevich (Twitter link). As a junior last season, the 6’6″ guard averaged 5.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 2.2 steals per game in 35 starts for the Tritons.
- Guard Dominick Harris, who has one year of NCAA eligibility remaining, will pull out of the draft and transfer from UCLA to Loyola Chicago, tweets Chepkevich. Harris has also played for Gonzaga and Loyola Marymount since beginning his college career in 2020.
Hoops Rumors Front Office Subscriber Chat Transcript: 5/27/2025
Hoops Rumors’ Arthur Hill held a live chat today exclusively for Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers. Topics included a potential new center for the Hawks, next season's MVP race, the Bulls' chances to move up in the draft, speculation on the future for LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo, and more! Use the link below to read the transcript.
Yaxel Lendeborg Withdrawing From Draft, Transferring To Michigan
Yaxel Lendeborg, projected to be a first-round pick next month, is withdrawing from the 2025 NBA draft and transferring from UAB to Michigan, he tells Jonathan Givony and Shams Charania of ESPN.
“While it’s been and still is a dream of mine to play in the NBA, I feel the development and growth as a player and a person I will gain at the University of Michigan will be very beneficial,” Lendeborg explained to ESPN.
There will be no shortage of college early entrants pulling out of the NBA draft ahead of the NCAA’s withdrawal deadline on Wednesday, but Lendeborg will almost certainly be one of the highest-rated prospects to forgo the professional route. He had been listed as the No. 26 overall prospect on ESPN’s 2025 big board and was also the 26th player selected in the site’s most recent mock draft.
[RELATED: 2025 NBA Draft Early Entrants List]
A 6’9″ forward, Lendeborg made the All-AAC first team in 2024 and 2025 and was named the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year in both seasons as well. As a senior this past season, he averaged 17.7 points, a conference-leading 11.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.8 blocks, and 1.7 steals in 33.6 minutes per game across 37 outings (all starts). He posted a strong shooting line of .522/.357/.757.
According to Givony, Lendeborg joined elite company by registering at least 600 points, 400 rebounds, and 150 assists a single season in 2024/25 — Larry Bird is the only other player in Division I history to accomplish that feat.
Lendeborg has one year of NCAA eligibility remaining before becoming automatically draft-eligible in 2026. He told ESPN that he got excited about the idea of joining the Wolverines after seeing how they deployed big man Danny Wolf as a ball-handler and facilitator.
“It’s amazing what Dusty May did with Danny Wolf,” Lendeborg said. “I would watch his games this season and say, ‘Man, I wish that was me.’ I’m trying to bring the same type of versatility he brought to Michigan.”
Mgbako, Conerway, Okereke Pulling Out Of NBA Draft
Forward Mackenzie Mgbako has opted to withdraw his name from the 2025 NBA draft, he tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN. According to Givony, Mgbako will be transferring from Indiana to Texas A&M for his junior year.
“I decided to withdraw to focus on becoming a lock first-round pick next year,” Mgbako said. “I am committed to making the improvements to my game based upon feedback from NBA teams.”
Mgbako spent his first two college seasons with the Hoosiers, averaging 12.2 points per game as both a freshman and a sophomore. He played slightly fewer minutes in his second year (25.2 MPG) than in his first (27.1 MPG), but increased his rebounds per game from 4.1 to 4.6 and bumped his shooting percentage from 39.5% to 43.7%.
A former top-10 high school recruit and McDonald’s All-American, Mgbako was projected as the No. 58 overall pick in ESPN’s latest mock draft last Monday. He had a solid pre-draft process, earning an invitation to the draft combine after leading the G League Elite Camp in scoring, but will head back to school and look to further improve his draft stock over the course of the 2025/26 season.
We have updates on a couple more prospects pulling out of the NBA draft:
- Senior guard Tayton Conerway, who has one year of NCAA eligibility remaining, will take advantage of that fact by withdrawing from the draft and playing a final college season, per Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports (Twitter link). The reigning Sun Belt Player of the Year is transferring to Indiana after averaging 14.2 points, 4.8 assists, 4.6 rebounds, and a conference-high 2.9 steals per game for Troy last season.
- After testing the draft waters this spring, forward AK Okereke will remove his name from the draft pool and transfer from Cornell to Vanderbilt, he tells Jon Chepkevich of DraftExpress (Twitter link). Okereke had a solid junior season in 2024/25, putting up 13.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game while making 59.5% of his field goal attempts.
- We’re tracking all the draft decisions made by early entrants right here.
Nets Viewed As Candidate To Move Up In Draft
No NBA team has more first-rounders or total picks in the 2025 draft than the Nets, who currently control the eighth, 19th, 26th, 27th, and 36th overall selections.
According to Brian Lewis of The New York Post (subscriber link), Brooklyn’s collection of 2025 picks, combined with general manager Sean Marks‘ history of draft-day trades, “almost immediately” led to chatter at this month’s combine about the Nets looking to move up in the draft.
As Lewis details, there has been plenty of speculation about the possibility of the Nets trying to move up to No. 2, since they heavily scouted local star Dylan Harper, whose father Ron Harper also addressed the idea of a Brooklyn trade on Twitter. Additionally, the Spurs, who currently hold that pick, already have De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle in their backcourt.
However, one source told Lewis that reports linking the Nets to the No. 2 pick are “all BS and rumors,” while a separate league source who spoke to The New York Post said he can’t envision a scenario in which Harper ends up in Brooklyn.
If the Nets do move up from No. 8, the Sixers (No. 3), Jazz (No. 5), and Wizards (No. 6) are considered likelier trade partners, in Lewis’ view.
Multiple reports have indicated that the 76ers, specifically, would only consider trading that No. 3 pick in scenarios where they move just a few spots back in the lottery (rather than further back, or out of the first round entirely), since they still want to add a “dynamic young talent” to their roster. A deal with Brooklyn might fit that criteria.
Still, Lewis stresses that even if the Nets are exploring trading up in the draft, that doesn’t necessarily mean a deal would have to involve the No. 8 pick. In fact, giving up assets to move up two or three spots from No. 8 might not make sense in a draft that doesn’t have a clear-cut top tier of six or seven prospects, he adds.
The sentiment around the league, Lewis explains, is that Brooklyn might actually try to acquire a second lottery pick (perhaps further back in the top 14) by using some combination of the team’s other first-round picks (Nos. 19, 26, and 27), future draft capital, and/or veteran wing Cameron Johnson. The Nets will also have substantial cap room this offseason, so they could further sweeten any trade offer by agreeing to take on an unwanted contract.
Houston’s Milos Uzan Withdrawing From NBA Draft
After testing the NBA draft waters this spring, Houston Cougars guard Milos Uzan has decided to withdraw his name from the pool and return to college for another season, his agent Aman Dhesi tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN.
It’s the second straight year in which Uzan has declared for the draft and then opted not to go pro. In 2024, he withdrew and transferred from Oklahoma to Houston after spending his first two college seasons with the Sooners.
Uzan had his best college season as a junior in 2024/25, averaging 11.4 points, 4.3 assists, and 3.1 rebounds in 31.5 minutes per game across 40 outings (all starts). His 42.8% three-point percentage and 78.3% mark on free throws were both career highs.
Uzan earned a spot on the All-Big 12 second team after helping to lead Houston to a Big 12 title and a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. However, his Cougars fell to Florida in the national championship game, so he’ll be seeking his first NCAA title as a senior. With Uzan returning alongside Emanuel Sharp and Joseph Tugler, the squad is a strong candidate for the preseason No. 1 ranking, Givony writes.
Uzan, who was ranked as the No. 41 prospect on ESPN’s big board for 2025, will be automatically draft-eligible in 2026.
College early entrants have until the end of the day on Wednesday to withdraw from the NBA draft if they want to retain their NCAA eligibility.
Karter Knox Withdraws From Draft, Returns To Arkansas
Potential second-round pick Karter Knox is withdrawing from the draft and returning to Arkansas, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony tweets.
The 6’6” wing could move into first-round consideration next June with a strong sophomore season. Knox started 24 of 36 games for the Razorbacks as a freshman but posted fairly modest stats — he averaged 8.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.0 assists per contest while shooting 46.2% from the field and 35.0% from beyond the arc.
Knox was ranked No. 56 on ESPN’s list of this year’s top 100 prospects.
Knox, 20, was considered a top-30 player in the 2024 recruiting class and originally committed to Kentucky. He followed coach John Calipari to Arkansas after Calipari left the Wildcats’ program.
Knox is the younger brother of 2018 lottery pick Kevin Knox, who finished this season with Golden State.
Timberwolves Notes: Randle, Edwards, McDaniels, Shannon
Julius Randle has been a magnet for criticism during his career, especially when he played in New York. The Timberwolves big man told Yahoo Sports’ Vince Goodwill that he tries to turn it into a positive.
“I’ve always used that as motivation, proving people wrong and stuff like that,” Randle said. “But it became more about proving myself right. That’s been the biggest adjustment and change in my mindset. Not that you don’t see it, pay attention to it. But it’s more about me than anyone else. I mean, I think that’s kind of been the maturity of my approach. I feel like the weight of the world’s off my shoulders because I’m just playing, having fun.”
Donte DiVincenzo, who was traded to Minnesota along with Randle, is impressed with how his teammate handles the negativity.
“To see him carry the load, night in and night out, everybody knows how much stuff he deals with, everybody knows how much flak he [catches], and he doesn’t let it faze him, he doesn’t let it bother him,” DiVincenzo said.
We have more on the Timberwolves:
- Anthony Edwards‘ positivity during the team flight prior to Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals went a long way toward getting the team to push past its 0-2 series deficit, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN. Edwards lifted the spirits of numerous teammates who were lamenting over the road defeats. “He always comes in a good mood and he’s always ready to go. He was one of the most positive voices after Game 2,” coach Chris Finch said. “The leadership that [Edwards] has shown this season is up by leaps and bounds. It’s just another example of it.”
- Jaden McDaniels fouled out of Game 1 and committed five fouls in Game 2. He only picked up two fouls in Game 3, as he did a better job of avoiding them while trying to help contain Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. “Kept my hands out of his shooting motion, or just kept my hands off him at all. … He’ll use his arms to tangle in yours and my arms are so long, it’s like they be getting caught places I don’t even want them to be,” McDaniels said, per Chris Hine of the Star Tribune (Twitter link).
- Finch confirmed during his pregame press conference on Monday that rookie Terrence Shannon Jr., who scored 15 points in Game 3, would have a role in Game 4, Timberwolves reporter Dane Moore tweets. “I think there’s opportunity for him to have a spot in the rotation right now,” Finch said.