NBA fans probably won't have to wait for the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks to face each other in the regular season next year, as a matchup has been set for them in the preseason. The matchup is set for Oct. 25 in Las Vegas, and it will be a highly anticipated game, regardless of whether it's preseason or not.

First off, the Lakers and Mavericks have a lot of history, which goes into the major trade that sent Luka Doncic to Los Angeles for Anthony Davis. Unfortunately, the game won't be played in Los Angeles or Dallas, so the crowd might not be the same, but it'll still be a hype atmosphere.

Secondly, people could possibly see Cooper Flagg against the Lakers, but that only will happen if the Mavericks make the decision to draft him in the coming weeks. The Mavericks won the draft lottery, and it's safe to say they got themselves in that position due to the aftermath of the Doncic trade. The team dealt with injuries to their key players all season, and they ended up getting in the lottery. For a team that only had a 1.8% chance at the No. 1 pick, they defied the odds and won.

Lakers, Mavericks set to face off in preseason 

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The Mavericks won't be fully healthy going into that preseason game, as Kyrie Irving will still be rehabbing from his torn ACL. He could possibly return sometime next year in January, and as of now, it looks like the Mavericks will have to find a solid backup at guard while Irving is sidelined.

Many will also want to know what moves the Lakers will make in the offseason to improve their team. The Lakers lost in the first round to the Minnesota Timberwolves, and it was obvious that one of the moves they needed to make was finding a quality center. There will be some potential options for them to choose from in free agency and possibly through a trade, so their frontcourt should look a lot different going into next season.

Both teams should be competitive in the Western Conference, and the preseason game could show a glimpse of what to expect from them during the year. Of course, nobody shows their entire hand in the preseason, but seeing the amount of talent that's on the court should be exciting for many.