The Dallas Mavericks' recent list of hires will enjoy some degree of familiarity as the current team features several former Lakers' personnel.

This will be the first time we see Cooper Flagg playing in a Dallas Mavericks uniform. The first overall pick of the 2025 NBA Draft will be tested from the jump, as Jason Kidd said he wants to see Flagg play at point guard.

At his introductory press conference, new Lakers center Deandre Ayton identified two areas of his game that he wants to improve in the most.

LeBron James has been with the Lakers for seven years. He recently exercised his player option for the 2025-26 season, but could be open to exploring options outside Los Angeles.

Cooper spent his entire NBA career with the Lakers, appearing in 873 regular-season games with the franchise. Though Cooper was mostly utilized in a reserve role, that didn’t stop him from being a key piece in a Lakers organization that won plenty of titles during the 1980s.

Find out which other teams will be in West Group B along with the Lakers for this coming season's Emirates NBA Cup.

The crosstown rivals are in West Group B for the third In-Season Tournament, along with the Memphis Grizzlies, Dallas Mavericks and New Orleans Pelicans.

In Southern California, every move — and non-move — being made is happening with visions of pouncing if another superstar comes calling.

It's the NBA offseason. The story of the Eastern Conference is how weak and vulnerable it is. The story of the Western Conference, however, is the escalating arms race between the seemingly endless list of teams eager to topple a nascent dynasty.