Mavericks' pivotal summer of change opens the door for a future Giannis trade

The Dallas Mavericks' summer has been filled with pivotal change as they look to rebuild the roster. They hired Masai Ujiri to be the new president and brought in Mike Schmitz to be the general manager, giving them two new faces to lead them into a new era. The basketball operations department is going to look quite different from how it did last season, and Ujiri entering the fold could eventually help the Mavericks pull off a trade for Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo.

According to NBA insider Marc Stein, Antetokounmpo "has a longstanding relationship with new Mavericks president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri." Relationships are extremely important in today's NBA, and Ujiri's connection with Giannis (subscription required) could lead the two sides to pursue a deal one day.

This isn't to say that Dallas is going to be a frontrunner in the trade race for the Greek Freak this summer, given that Ujiri is focused on the future around Cooper Flagg, but they can't be completely ruled out either. The door is open for a future trade, and the Mavericks' new-look front office could look to make a move down the line.

The Giannis-Dallas whispers are real

The Mavericks coveted Anthony Davis for years before eventually trading for him in February of 2025, and the same thing could happen with Antetokounmpo. Especially since there is mutual interest.

Stein reported that Dallas has "long intrigued Antetokounmpo," and his interest began a long time ago due to the potential of teaming up with Luka Doncic. Luka is obviously long gone, but the interest didn't go away on Giannis' end due to his relationship with Jason Kidd. Dallas' former coach is gone as well, but Antetokounmpo's relationship with Ujiri can't be undermined.

He is one of the best executives in the NBA, and Stein noted that Kidd's departure likely won't change everything in Giannis' mind.

"It would be unwise to make the leap that Kidd's abrupt exit Tuesday with a whopping four seasons left on his contract is the factor that would preclude a Dallas pursuit," Stein reported.

Stein clearly reported that Antetokounmpo has had some interest in the Mavericks for some time now, and this is an important tidbit to remember as Dallas builds a contender. They seem unlikely as a Giannis trade destination now, considering his desire to remain in the East and Dallas' future-based vision, but this doesn't mean that they'll never trade for Antetokounmpo.

An Antetokounmpo trade makes sense for the Mavs in the future

Crazy things happen in the NBA every single season, and if Dallas feels like they need to eventually bring in a veteran co-star to pair with Flagg, they could look to acquire Giannis. He remains one of the most dominant players in the NBA despite being in his early thirties, and the Mavericks have plenty of time to keep an eye on him before deciding whether they want to pursue him.

The Giannis-Mavericks connection is there, and this, combined with Ujiri running the show, makes them a potential destination once the Flagg era is fully underway.

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