League Executives Consider Mavericks Rebuild; Skepticism Surrounds Magic, Spurs and Lakers
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Dallas Mavericks
The Mavericks have opened the season 3-9, prompting widespread speculation that the franchise could pivot toward a full rebuild, according to reporting from ESPN’s Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst. Multiple front-office sources told the network that Dallas may explore moving Anthony Davis—and possibly Kyrie Irving—in an effort to reset the roster around top prospect Cooper Flagg and recoup the draft picks surrendered in the Luka Dončić trade.
Davis, sidelined by a left calf strain after just five appearances, is considered the primary trade chip. His contract adds layers of complexity: he is owed $58.5 million in 2026-27, holds a $62.8 million player option the following season, and becomes eligible next summer for an extension that could reach $218.5 million.
“AD turns 33 in March,” one general manager told ESPN. “He’ll want an extension that could hit $70 million a year when he’s 37. You’re trading for the player—and the stress of that extension.”
Windhorst noted that Davis’s age and injury history could limit Dallas’s potential return, though several executives believe the Mavericks remain dangerous when healthy. Nevertheless, a teardown could replenish draft assets—Dallas controls none of its own first-round picks after 2026—and relieve a projected $32 million luxury-tax bill.
Orlando Magic
Orlando has won five of its last seven, yet the offense is still mid-pack despite the offseason acquisition of Desmond Bane. Windhorst reported that head coach Jamahl Mosley has delegated most play-calling duties to assistant Joe Prunty.
“Bane will find his rhythm,” a Western Conference executive said. “But you still have a ball-dominant iso star in Paolo Banchero, and that hasn’t produced the ball movement and open looks they need. It’s been ugly so far.”
San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Lakers
Both the Spurs and Lakers have started the year on a positive note, but league scouts remain cautious about their staying power in the Western Conference’s upper tier. A Western scout questioned whether Victor Wembanyama can handle an 82-game schedule, while an Eastern executive withheld judgment on Los Angeles until LeBron James is fully healthy.
“It’s not just the sciatica,” the executive said of James. “He hurt his knee at the end of last season, and that affected his offseason. He’s never begun a year dealing with this many injuries.”
Source: Hoops Wire
