Lakers linked to trade for Luka Doncic's $27 million former Mavericks teammate

In terms of familiarity, the Dallas Mavericks might be the best trade partner for the Los Angeles Lakers. 

The Lakers recently completed a blockbuster trade with the Mavericks to acquire Luka Doncic, and a recent report suggests that Los Angeles could circle back to Dallas this season to land Doncic’s 28-year-old former Mavericks teammate.

“From talking to NBA executives and scouts who were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter, the most likely scenario for the Lakers is to make moves along the margins,” the LA Times’ Broderick Turner stated Wednesday. “NBA people say the Lakers are looking for big wing players, but so is most of the league.”

“According to some of those NBA folks, the names that have been attached to the Lakers as potential trade targets are Dallas’ Naji Marshall, a former Doncic teammate, Cleveland’s De’Andre Hunter, Minnesota’s Donte DiVincenzo, and Sacramento’s Keon Ellis.”

Marshall is playing the best basketball of his career with the Mavericks. The Xavier product was a respectable contributor for the New Orleans Pelicans at the start of his NBA career, but has since transformed into a more impactful role player in the big leagues since joining Dallas in 2024.

The physical 6-foot-6 wing averaged 13.2 points per contest alongside Doncic last season, and is currently on pace to finish with a higher scoring average this year (he’s contributing 14.7 points per game in 47 contests. 

It appears the Lakers will closely monitor Marshall’s situation in Dallas.

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