Mavericks at risk of losing fan-favorite veteran to Lakers right after Flagg pick

After drafting Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 overall pick in tonight's draft, the Dallas Mavericks' focus will shift to free agency quickly after, as it begins on June 30. After signing Kyrie Irving to a team-friendly extension on Tuesday night to play alongside Flagg and Anthony Davis for years to come, the team is in desperate need of a backup point guard who can replace Irving while he is out and become the starter for the first half of the season.

The Mavericks have already shown interest in bringing Dante Exum back to come off the bench and provide guard depth, but the Los Angeles Lakers are lurking in the shadows. According to Lakers insider Anthony Irwin, Los Angeles is interested in signing Exum in free agency, especially if they can land him on a veteran minimum contract.

The Lakers, like the Mavericks, need some more ball handling ahead of next season, and reuniting Exum with Luka Doncic would be a sneaky good signing for Los Angeles while quietly being a significant loss for Dallas.

Lakers want to sign Dante Exum away from Mavs in free agency

While Exum's injuries have undoubtedly been a problem in Dallas, as he played in just 75 games over two seasons, losing his steady hand in the backcourt would be concerning for the Mavs, especially since their only true (healthy) ball handlers ahead of next season are Brandon Williams and Jaden Hardy.

Like Exum, Spencer Dinwiddie is also set to hit free agency, and losing both of those guards could end up being a bigger blow than Mavericks fans realize. While Dallas has already been on the hunt for potential Irving replacements, as they have been linked to Chris Paul, Malcolm Brogdon, Dennis Schroder, and D'Angelo Russell in free agency, keeping Exum would be a great move to hold down the end of the bench.

Exum has proven that he can show up in the biggest moments, as he had multiple unbelievably clutch moments as a member of the Mavericks, and fans will be locked in all free agency long to see what decision he decides to make.

If Exum were to head to the Lakers, Los Angeles would be landing a proven veteran who has shown he can play alongside Doncic or lead the second unit when needed, and his size, length, and connectivity allow him to play one through three fairly seamlessly.

Exum's versatility was a major blessing for the Mavs over the last few years. as he was one of their more trusted ball handlers, especially when Doncic or Irving was out of the lineup, and he seemed like he played the most mistake-free basketball out of the Mavs' reserve guards.

This isn't to say that Exum is going to light up the stat sheet every single night, but he plays the right way, knocks down open shots, plays good defense, and is an outstanding teammate. You can't ask for much more out of your backup point guard, and if the Lakers are somehow able to steal him from the Mavericks' grasp to reunite him with Doncic, fans would be crushed.

Fans' sadness from losing another key rotation player would be alleviated by them signing a superior guard in free agency or trading for one, as they now have the $5.7 million taxpayer mid-level exception at their disposal, and with Dallas showing serious interest in Russell and Paul, losing Exum may just be an afterthought by the time the season rolls around if the Lakers do indeed pursue him like Irwin reported.