Key Anthony Davis connection could set Mavericks up to trade for forgotten star

When the Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Doncic on the 11th hour back in early February, they knew their franchise had changed forever. It didn't really hit Mavs fans until Shams Charania posted on X to confirm the controversial trade was real.

Since then, the noise of Mavs fans wass heard loud and clear, Doncic is no longer a Maverick, and now the team is suffering as a result. While the Los Angeles Lakers got knocked out of the first round of the playoffs, it still didn't make any conflicted Mavs fans feel any better. The hard truth was that Doncic was a Laker instead of a Maverick, and the Mavs are sitting at home watching the playoffs anyway.

While Doncic is sorely missed across Dallas, there's one aspect of Doncic's game that's missed most. He's on track to be one of the smartest passers the NBA has ever seen, and as a result, the Mavs need a ball handler and a pick-and-roll maestro to make up for Doncic's departure. The Mavs need to go after rumored target Lonzo Ball in a trade to match perfectly with their big star, Anthony Davis.

Ball and Davis' off-court connection could lead to on-court magic in Big D

Ball and Davis' connection stretches far beyond the hardwood, as they share the same agent, Rich Paul. Connections matter significantly in today's NBA, and getting another Klutch client in Ball to join Davis and Dereck Lively II is likely a move that would please both sides.

Ball has become a better shooter since his days at New Orleans over five years ago, but now it's his floor general skills that can make for an unstoppable duo between him and Davis. The Mavs have been looking desperately for that next pick-and-roll maestro after Doncic, and Ball fits the bill pretty well even though he has mostly been known as a connector throughout his career.

With Davis, Daniel Gafford, and Lively II needing someone to dish them the ball on lobs, this is Ball's perfect role to get back to relevance. Of course, this move does come with its risks, considering Davis' and Ball's injury history.

Ball came into the NBA has one of the more exciting young players after his days at UCLA, largely because of heavy media attention from his father, LaVar. Ball has become a better player overall since his early days with the Lakers, but his lingering knee injuries have hindered him from playing consistently, as he sat out two seasons in a row. Ball was truly supposed to be an NBA star, but injuries have turned him into a fogotten player, and he could have the chance to revive his career in Dallas and be a role player on a contender.

If Ball were to go down early in the year, it would put a lot of pressure on Brandon Williams and in essence, Cooper Flagg.

Trading for Ball to unite him with his fellow Klutch team member Davis would be a shocker to the NBA world, but in the end, this would help the Mavs immensely. With Jrue Holiday and Chris Paul still on the market, there's a lot to consider with those respective guards being much older than Ball, thus posing a risk in a do-or-die season. There are risks for every player that plays for any team, including Ball, but Ball is the younger guy, and him getting back into form is just what Dallas needs.

Ball's connection with Davis when it comes to them sharing an agent could help Nico Harrison work some magic, and time will tell how the Mavs decide to address their point guard vacancy.