Ex-Duke Blue Devil R.J. Barrett lands on Bucks’ in wild trade proposal sending Giannis to Lakers, LeBron to Mavs

Ex-Duke Blue Devil R.J. Barrett lands on Bucks’ in wild trade proposal sending Giannis to Lakers, LeBron to Mavs originally appeared on The Sporting News

Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus swung for the fences with a bold mock proposal that’d reshape the NBA for years to come.

Pincus’s earth-shattering deal would send LeBron James, Bronny James, Andre Jackson Jr., Tyler Smith, and Drew Timme to the Dallas Mavericks, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Olivier-Maxence Prosper, Tyrese Martin, a $4 million trade exception, and a $2 million trade exception to the Los Angeles Lakers, RJ Barrett, PJ Washington, Caleb Martin, Naji Marshall, a $2 million trade exception, 2026 first-round swap rights, a 2026 Lakers second-rounder, 2028 first-round swap rights, 2030 first-round swap rights, a 2031 first-rounder, and 2032 first-round swap rights to the Milwaukee Bucks, Daniel Gafford and a $13.3 million trade exception to the Toronto Raptors, and the trio of Dalton Knecht, Jaden Hardy, and Dwight Powell to the Brooklyn Nets.

Wowza. Where to begin.

For the Mavs, teaming LeBron with Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis, two players he’s won a championship with, is a stroke of genius. Add in the element of mentoring Cooper Flagg, and Nico Harrison would be a hero in Dallas if he pulled this off.

Imagine telling anyone in February after the Luka Doncic trade that Harrison would be called a “hero” less than a year later. Unfathomable.

Speaking of which, Los Angeles is the obvious winner of the trade. Giannis and Luka would become the next potential dynastic duo in what’d be instantly the most dangerous pick-and-roll duo ever assembled.

Barrett as the centerpiece of a return that includes the outright rights to one first-rounder, not a swap, would be an objective failure by the Bucks front office. It makes this deal a non-starter.

It’s a fun exercise to think about anyway.