Mavericks' draft trade rumor primes them to chase dream Luka Doncic replacement

With the 2025 NBA Draft quickly approaching, one thing is for certain. Despite rumors flowing throughout the NBA about who teams will select, the Dallas Mavericks are not in that boat. They are zeroed in on taking Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 overall pick on June 25, but the other moves they may make during the draft after that are not as certain.

According to recent rumors, the Mavericks are looking to trade back into the first round to acquire an additional first-round pick to draft a point guard, and one player who would immediately fill their need at guard is BYU's Egor Demin.

Ever since the Mavericks traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis, they have needed more playmaking badly, and that just happens to be Demin's specialty. The Mavericks are specifically looking for more playmaking when searching for a guard, and when evaluating potential first-round picks that are stellar playmakers, there isn't a better option than Demin.

Egor Demin would be a great fit for Dallas' future

Demin is the best passer in the draft, and if he somehow falls out of the lottery, the Mavericks should pounce on him as quickly as possible. Last season at BYU, Demin averaged 10.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 41.2 percent from the field as one of their primary creators.

Demin's passing creativity is what stands out most, as he throws skip passes with incredible accuracy and gets everyone around him involved with his selfless playstyle. He also always makes the correct read in the pick and roll, whether that is feeding the ball to the cutting big, getting all the way to the rim to score with either hand, or firing a kick-out pass to a shooter on the perimeter. His lob passing should have the Mavs intrigued, as they have two of the better lob finishers in the NBA in Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford.

On top of his passing, Demin is also a solid defender who can disrupt opposing offenses due to his size, length, and versatility. Standing at 6-foot-9 with a 6-foot-10 wingspan, Demin has the frame to defend multiple positions effectively, and he would thrive in Jason Kidd's system due to his off-ball instincts and ability as a helper.

Nico Harrison loves bringing in two-way players, as he is determined that "defense wins championships," and Demin would fit that mold beautifully. He also has great size, and it seems like positional size is definitely an area Dallas has been focused on.

While it's clear Demin isn't the offensive maestro that Doncic is, his finishing and passing are undeniable, and his shooting should take a jump up at the NBA level. Despite shooting just 27.3 percent from downtown at BYU, he impressed scouts with his shooting at the combine and as a good-looking step-back jumper.

Shooting has been a major focus of Demin's pre-draft process, and he is motivated to show the world that he is a good shooter. The Mavericks desperately need more shooting and better guard play this offseason, and with more spacing at the NBA level, Demin's shooting should continue to climb.

If the Mavs were somehow able to draft both Demin and Flagg in the first round, they would be bringing in two of the best playmakers in the draft who also have as much fire as anybody. An anonymous Big 12 coach who spoke with The Smoking Cuban praised Demin's "swag and flavor" earlier this offseason, and that is one thing that made Mavericks fans fall in love with Doncic.

But, with all of this chatter, let's make one thing clear: Doncic will never be replaced in Dallas.

Doncic will always be remembered as one of the most loved Mavericks of all time, and fans will never forget the legendary start of his career that he had in Dallas. Ever since he left, Dallas desperately needed another creator alongside Kyrie Irving, and that's where Demin would come in.

Demin could take the playmaking duties from Irving when needed, but his off-ball movement and outstanding feel for the game would allow him to play off the ball as well. The Mavericks need another jumbo playmaker who can play either guard spot, and Demin would bring all of that and more.

This is what made the Doncic-Irving duo special, as both players could play on or off the ball and were all in on winning, and that is a quality they would get with Demin. He would help replace the playmaking and ball handling that was lost when Doncic was traded, and he would be a great future building block to grow with Flagg and the rest of the Mavs' young core.