The Lakers "Mini Big Three" may gather for the Mavericks, attracting Clay s attention, and Aowen welcomes a super substitute

According to in-depth analysis by well-known journalist Marc Stein on the podcast show on June 28, the Dallas Mavericks are increasingly regarded as D'Angelo Russell's potential next-hand choice. The emergence of this trend stems from the Mavericks' core point guard Kyrie Irving's unfortunately suffered a severe injury from a torn cruciate ligament in March, which led to his long-term absence. It is expected that he will not be able to return to the arena until January to February next year as early as next year.

In view of this, the Mavericks management urgently needs to find a qualified point guard candidate who can fill Irving's vacancy in the offseason in case of emergency. Russell, Chris Paul, Malcolm Brogden and Dennis Schroeder have all become the focus of the Mavericks' inspection. It is worth noting that a series of subtle trends on social media have attracted widespread attention from the outside world in recent times. Many current Mavericks players expressed concern to Russell, and this move undoubtedly deepened the outside world's speculation that Russell might join the Mavericks.

In addition to Russell's former Lakers teammates Anthony Davis (Hyper Eyebrow), Max Christie and Jared Dudley, Irving, Klay Thompson, General Manager Nick Harrison, and even this year's No. 1 pick Flag, and the newly signed two-way contract player Ryan Nembhard all expressed concerns about Russell. This series of actions seems to indicate that Russell joins the Mavericks is a trend.

It is worth mentioning that Irving chose to break out of his original contract this summer and renew his new contract with the Mavericks by reducing his salary. This decision freed up a mini middle-class special case worth $5.7 million, providing valuable financial space for the team to sign in the free market. Among the two highly-anticipated point guards, Russell and Paul, given that Paul has publicly expressed his desire to join the Los Angeles team in order to spend more time with his family, Russell has undoubtedly become the more ideal choice for the Mavericks. Russell, 29, has played in 58 games after being traded by the Lakers to the Nets this season, averaging 12.6 points, 2.8 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1 steal. At the same time, he can make 1.9 three-pointers per game. Although his three-point shooting percentage is only 31.4%, his comprehensive performance is still impressive. Once Russell successfully joins the Mavericks, he will be expected to join hands with two former Lakers teammates, Davis and Christie, to recall the glorious years of helping the Lakers win the first midseason championship in 2023.

With Russell's joining, the Mavericks have the ability to build a five-squad with great offensive potential, which can include Clay, Flagg, PJ-Washington and Anthony Davis (Dynamite). In addition, even when integrating Gafford and Lefly, the Mavericks can arrange a five-player combination with good performance. Given that if Irving can recover successfully, this team will undoubtedly show strong competitiveness to launch a rush to the championship.