DEAL MUST BE COMPLETED AT THE TRADE DEADLINE DUE TO LUKA'S EXTENSION

Why the MAVERICKS do it:

It's simple...the Mavs acknowledge that the Luka trade was a massive mistake, and they want to win back their fans by bringing Luka home. This sequence of events might actually allow Luka to play with a better version of the Mavs than last season, with Anthony Davis and Max Christie as his new teammates. Trading Cooper Flagg and Dereck Lively hurts, but that's the price of doing business. The Mavs choose Luka to be the face of the franchise and choose Luka's timeline over Cooper.

Why the LAKERS do it:

Austin Reaves has emerged as a star, and the Giannis/Reaves pairing makes more sense from a court geometry standpoint than the Luka/Reaves pairing. Lively becomes a building block for the future, while Thompson adds experience and gravity from the three-point line. The downside is that Giannis is almost five years older than Luka, and Lively has been injury-plagued. The total value of the deal and the ability to strengthen the post makes too much sense for the Lakers, though.

Why the BUCKS do it:

If Giannis wants out, then this allows the Bucks to do right by him. It places him on a competitive team in a major market, and it keeps his brother with him. The Bucks get to reset their timeline with Cooper Flagg and a future first round pick. Most of the incoming money is on expiring deals, while Hardy and Knecht might benefit from new beginnings.