Offseason Notes: Thoughts on Day 1 of the Draft and the Offseason Moves So Far
Lakers, Mavs, and other notes from around the NBA
The NBA offseason is in full swing. Day 1 of the Draft is in the books, Round 2 rolls on tonight, and other key dates are coming fast. (For Lakers and Mavs fans: if you missed it, I put together a quick overview of all the important offseason dates here.)
With everything moving so quickly and my own travel schedule in the mix, I’m starting a new format here on digginbasketball: offseason notes. Quick thoughts, reactions, and storylines I’m tracking as they unfold. I’ll save the deeper dives and structured analysis for later, once the dust settles a bit and there’s more to process.
The Draft is usually one of the key milestones in the NBA offseason, a moment when the cards get significantly reshuffled. But this one wasn’t as seismic as expected. Especially after the offseason opened with a bang during the Finals—with the Desmond Bane trade, the Lakers sale, and the Kevin Durant trade—last night ended up being a surprisingly unsurprising night.
Shocking no one, the Mavericks selected Cooper Flagg with the number one pick, officially beginning the Flagg era in Dallas. And outside of the Phoenix Suns trading for Mark Williams, the once-presumed future Laker, there were no major player-movement trades. That is, unless you count the head-scratching Pelicans-Hawks shuffle involving first-round picks and Joe Dumars giving up an unprotected first-rounder (!?) next year just to move up to 13 in this year's Draft. Lakers fans hoping for early offseason fireworks were left disappointed. Rob Pelinka was the only GM who didn’t make a single move last night—not a pick, not a trade.
Today’s notes:
The new CBA and the aprons are a real thing
Mavericks moves and ripple effects: Flagg, Kyrie, Gafford, and the coaching staff shakeup
How the moves before and at the Draft are shaping the Lakers’ offseason plans
1–The new CBA and the aprons are a real thing
If it wasn’t already obvious how restrictive the new CBA is for high-spending teams, just look at how the Celtics took apart their 2024 title roster. Trading away both Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis sent a clear message. The financial penalties (Porzingis and Holiday trades save Boston a projected $180M in tax penalties) and roster-building limitations tied to the second apron are so severe that unless you’re a true title contender, most teams want no part of it beyond a single year.
After their recent transactions (more on that in the next point), both the Mavericks and Celtics managed to exit the second apron and are now only subject to first apron restrictions—leaving the Suns and Cavaliers as the only remaining second apron teams. The new Kyrie Irving extension helped move the Mavericks down into the first apron and unlocked the taxpayer mid-level exception (MLE), which they’ll likely try to use to address their point guard situation. For the Lakers, the key date is June 29—the deadline for LeBron James to decide on his player option. If—and that’s a big if—he opts out and re-signs on terms more favorable to the team, the Lakers could also drop below the first apron, potentially unlocking access to the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception.
2–Mavericks moves and ripple effects: Flagg, Kyrie, Gafford, and the coaching staff shakeup
Drafting Cooper Flagg was a no-brainer. He’s a generational talent, the kind of two-way player that’s hard to find a real comparison for (though I did try—if you missed it, check it out). Flagg gives the Mavericks a clear identity, renewed purpose, excitement, and a long-term future to build around.
Kyrie Irving’s extension was another straightforward decision. He more than earned it with his play and leadership. As mentioned earlier, Irving’s new deal allows the Mavericks to unlock the $5.7 million taxpayer mid-level exception, which they’ll likely use to pursue a guard in free agency to fill the ball-handling void while Irving recovers from his torn ACL. Marc Stein reported that Dallas is regarded as a leading suitor for D’Angelo Russell, with Malcolm Brogdon and Dennis Schröder also mentioned as potential options. My loyal readers know how much I’ve written about the rising importance of perimeter ball pressure. But the D’Lo rumor—and the Mavericks' recent history—only reaffirms my belief that aggressive, ball-hounding guards are not the archetype this front office prioritizes. Nico Harrison believes Flagg can fill several roles and cover multiple holes, including playing at the wing or even shooting guard spot alongside P.J. Washington in super-sized lineups. That vision might help explain why the Mavericks are targeting more offensively minded point guards in free agency.
The other move the Mavericks made was agreeing to a three-year, $54 million contract extension with Daniel Gafford, which will begin in the 2026–27 season. The important outcome of that deal is its structure. Gafford remains immediately trade-eligible, which makes him a valuable trade asset and only adds to the speculation about his future in Dallas. Personally, I believe having so many resources tied up in the frontcourt isn’t the smartest strategy. With Anthony Davis’s $54 million salary, Gafford’s new extension, P.J. Washington eligible for an extension at the end of the summer, and Dereck Lively II becoming extension eligible next summer, it’s hard to see all of them staying long-term. That’s why I assume Gafford is a trade chip the team will eventually use. But Harrison has defied conventional logic before and given his belief in size, defense, and the direct corrleation between the two, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Mavericks head into training camp continuing their experiment as one of the biggest teams in the league.
The last note on the Mavericks is the continious turnaround within the coaching staff. Sean Sweeney’s departure for a non-head coaching role, and doing so before Jason Kidd, is a very interesting development. Jarred Dudley and God Shammgod are two other names from Kidd’s staff rumored to be on their way out as well. All of this gives the impression that even after a tumultuous spring, the power reshuffle within the organization might not be fully over yet.
3–How the moves before and at the Draft are shaping the Lakers’ offseason plans
The Lakers haven’t made any moves yet, and as mentioned earlier, June 29—when LeBron James and Dorian Finney-Smith must decide on their player options—stands out as the next key date in their offseason. However, the Draft and other trades have reshuffled the deck around the league and will impact the Lakers, especially in their pursuit of a starting and backup center, which remains a top priority.
The Suns giving up two first-round picks for Mark Williams—one of them being the 29th in this Draft—sets yet another baseline for how steep the price for a quality big man is right now.
With the trade and the selection of Duke big man Kahman Maluach, the Suns now find themselves with a surplus of big men (and shooting guards). I don’t think either Nick Richards or Oso Ighodaro is the answer to the Lakers’ starting center need, but they’re names worth keeping an eye on.
Portland made a surprise move in the Draft by selecting 7-foot-1 Chinese big man Yanh Hansen with the 16th pick. That only adds to the already stacked frontocurt and uncertainty around Deandre Ayton’s future with the team. Ayton was one of the low-risk moves, backup plans, and versatile bigs I mentioned on the podcast with Jovan Buha—an archetype I’d be interested in seeing next to Dončić.
Atlanta is another team with a growing surplus in the frontcourt. They traded for Kristaps Porzingis the day before the Draft, then used the 23rd pick to select 6-foot-11 Asa Newell out of Georgia. This most likely signals that Clint Capela—a free agent and one of the Lakers' rumored targets—is not returning to Atlanta. I don’t think these moves make Onyeka Okongwu expendable, but maybe a little less untouchable.
Brooklyn raised eyebrows by holding on to all five of their first-round picks—and actually using them. The last of those was the 27th selection, a versatile big man out of Michigan, Danny Wolf. With another big added and five rookies to integrate into the roster and rotation, does that make Nic Claxton more expendable and potentially more reachable for the Lakers? Could the Lakers also find a way to acquire the Nets’ 36th pick in the second round? It’s hard to imagine Brooklyn drafting yet another player. The Nets are definitely a team to watch.
Minnesota is another team that drafted a big man—athletic French prospect Joan Beringer, who I watched this season playing for our local team, Olimpija Ljubljana. Beringer is clearly a long-term project and likely viewed as a future replacement for Rudy Gobert. Still, it’s an interesting move for a team that already has some looming offseason questions around Julius Randle and Naz Reid.
The Clippers used the final pick of the first round to draft athletic big man Yanic Konan Niederhauser. He was one of the late-draft gems and big man options I had on the list for the Lakers in case they moved up. He did end up in L.A.—just with the Clippers, not the Lakers. He’ll likely back up Ivica Zubac and provide a lob threat for James Harden.
I mentioned the Pelicans and Joe Dumars making splashy moves to land an additional pick in this Draft. They selected guard Jeremiah Fears with the 7th pick, then moved up to 13 to take 6-foot-9 power forward Derik Queen. Neither is a direct replacement for someone like Herb Jones—who would be a perfect wing defender next to Dončić—or Trey Murphy III. Dumars took a big swing, and a lot of heat, by giving up an unprotected first-rounder next year. That likely means the Pelicans will need to find rotation minutes for both rookies. Another situation worth watching.
The Heat selected 6-foot-6 Lithuanian guard Kasparas Jakucionis in the first round. In the days leading up to the Draft, there were rumors of trade talks between the Lakers and Heat involving Andrew Wiggins. It will be interesting to see whether drafting Jakucionis—who interestingly drew some pre-draft comparisons to Austin Reaves—impacts Miami’s urgency to trade Wiggins. Like Herb Jones, Wiggins is another wing defender I highlighted in a past deep-dive on point-of-attack defenders and as a strong fit next to Dončić. Another name to keep an eye on is Kyle Anderson, already on the Heat roster, who could also be a realistic option to help address Dallas’s wing defense.
Utah used the 5th and 18th picks to draft two scorers and shooters: Ace Bailey and Walter Clayton Jr. In his first Draft leading the Jazz, Austin Ainge clearly prioritized shot-making. It remains to be seen whether this impacts any potential trade talks with the Lakers around Walker Kessler. Most reports suggest Utah’s asking price for Kessler is high and could include Austin Reaves. Personally, I wouldn’t make that deal if I were the Lakers. And neither of the players Utah selected profiles as a primary ball-handler, but their addition adds another layer of complexity to what already seems like a tough negotiation.
Are you surprised there’s no rumors about the Mavs being interested in Tyus Jones?