Kevin Durant’s first season with the Rockets could end with a much bigger question than anyone expected. The Rockets won 52 games, but they are now down 3-1 against the Lakers in the first round, and Durant has already missed three games in the series. Michael Pina of The Ringer recently wrote that the Rockets could consider using Durant as a “stepping stone” this summer, while also naming 22 teams that could have different levels of interest if he becomes available.
The Clippers are in a different but equally complicated spot. They already moved James Harden and Ivica Zubac at the deadline, clearly trying to get younger around Kawhi Leonard. But they still missed the playoffs after losing to the Warriors in the play-in tournament, and they do not have short-term control of their first-round picks. That makes a full reset difficult. A final star swing may be more realistic than slowly rebuilding without draft control.
The Mavericks are the third team that makes this idea possible. They finished 26-56, and Cooper Flagg has already been named Rookie of the Year after averaging 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 4.5 assists. With the Mavericks building around Flagg after the Anthony Davis trade, the veterans left on the roster should be treated as trade chips.
With that in mind, a blockbuster trade that reunites Durant and Kyrie Irving with Leonard on the Clippers would make sense as a final all-in move. It would give the Clippers one last real Big 3, help the Rockets recover assets and flexibility, and let the Mavericks fully lean into the Flagg era.
The Mock Trade Framework
Los Angeles Clippers Receive: Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving
Dallas Mavericks Receive: Bogdan Bogdanovic, Bennedict Mathurin, 2026 first-round pick from Clippers (via Pacers)
Houston Rockets Receive: Darius Garland, 2031 first-round pick from Clippers, 2028 second-round pick from Mavericks
This deal sends Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving to the Clippers, where they would join Kawhi Leonard for one final win-now push. The Clippers would turn their retool into a full all-in move and build around three elite shot-creators.
The Mavericks would move Irving and add younger pieces around Cooper Flagg. Bennedict Mathurin would be the main return, while Bogdan Bogdanovic gives them veteran shooting, and the 2026 first-round pick adds draft value.
The Rockets would move Durant and replace him with Darius Garland, a younger guard who fits better with their timeline. They would also add the Clippers’ 2031 first-round pick and a 2028 second-round pick from the Mavericks.
The Financial Math Makes Sense
The clean version of this deal works because the money is close enough on all three sides. Kevin Durant is set to make about $43.9 million in 2026-27, while Kyrie Irving is at $39.5 million. That puts the Clippers’ incoming salary at roughly $83.4 million. On the outgoing side, Darius Garland is at $42.1 million, Bogdan Bogdanovic has a $16.0 million team option, and Bennedict Mathurin would be treated as a sign-and-trade piece. For this framework, Mathurin could be signed-and-traded at three years, $66.0 million, starting at $20.0 million in 2026-27. That gets the Clippers’ outgoing money to around $78.1 million, which is close enough to make the structure realistic with the right cap positioning.
For the Mavericks, the financial side is also workable. Irving’s outgoing salary would be around $39.5 million, and they would bring back Bogdanovic at $16.0 million plus Mathurin at around $20.0 million in the first year of the sign-and-trade. That is roughly $36.0 million coming back, so they cut a little salary while adding a younger wing and a 2026 first-round pick. Mathurin’s deal would matter most. A three-year, $66.0 million contract would pay him like a real long-term rotation scorer, but not like a max player. That fits a Cooper Flagg reset better than keeping an older guard on a major contract.
For the Rockets, the financial part is the easiest. They would move Durant’s $43.9 million and take back Garland’s $42.1 million, plus draft compensation. That keeps the salary almost flat while making the roster younger and more balanced. Garland is not Durant, but he solves a cleaner need: ball-handling, pull-up shooting, and half-court structure next to Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, and Jabari Smith Jr. The Rockets would also add the Clippers’ 2031 first-round pick and the Mavericks’ 2028 second-round pick, which helps them recover future value after the Durant experiment.
The only real complication is Mathurin’s sign-and-trade. He is set to become a restricted free agent after his rookie deal, so the Clippers would need his agreement, and the Mavericks would need to view him as worth the new contract. That is why the starting salary should not be too high. At three years and $66.0 million, with a first-year salary of around $20.0 million, Mathurin becomes a strong but reasonable young asset. It gives the Mavericks a scorer closer to Flagg’s timeline, gives the Clippers the matching money they need, and keeps the full trade from becoming too messy.
Why The Clippers Make This Deal
The Clippers make this deal because their current lane is not strong enough. They finished 42-40, landed ninth in the West, and lost their last game to the Warriors, 126-121. That is not good enough for a team still built around Kawhi Leonard, especially with limited draft control and no path to a rebuild. If they are going to stay in competitive mode, they need a real swing.
Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving would give them that. Durant averaged 26.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists this season with the Rockets, shooting 52.0% from the field and 41.3% from deep. Even at 37, he is still one of the most prolific half-court scorers in the league. He does not need a high-speed offense, and he does not need easy looks to be efficient. That is exactly why he would fit next to Leonard. Both can score from the wing, punish switches, and play late-clock basketball.
Irving would be the guard who changes the feel of the offense. His latest healthy season with the Mavericks still showed elite scoring value, as he averaged 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.6 assists in 50 games while shooting 47.3% from the field, 40.1% from 3, and 91.6% from the line. That gives the Clippers a late-game ball-handler next to two bigger scoring forwards.
The risk is obvious. This would be old, expensive, and health-dependent. Durant, Irving, and Leonard would not be a long-term core. But that is also the point. The Clippers are not in a patient position. They already moved major pieces in their retool, but they are not bad enough to tank and not young enough to wait. A Durant-Irving-Leonard trio would be one last real attempt to turn elite shot creation into a playoff ceiling. It would not be safe, but it would be epic.
Why The Mavericks Agree To Move Irving
The Mavericks agree because their timeline has changed. They finished 26-56, missed the playoffs, and now have a new franchise direction with Cooper Flagg. That makes veteran pieces more movable if the return helps the next version of the team.
This trade gives the Mavericks two things that fit that reset: a younger scorer and another pick. Bennedict Mathurin would be the main piece. He averaged 17.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.4 assists this season, and he is still young enough to grow with Flagg. He is not a finished product, especially as a shooter, but he gives the Mavericks a strong downhill wing who can score, get to the line, and play with effort. That is a better age-curve fit than holding onto an older guard through a rebuild.
Bogdan Bogdanovic would be the veteran salary piece, but he also gives them shooting and a steady rotation role. He averaged 7.4 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 2.2 assists this season, and he is still a useful floor spacer if the Mavericks want to keep enough veterans around Flagg. He would not be the main reason for the deal. He would be the stabilizer.
The 2026 first-round pick from the Clippers via the Pacers is the other key. If the Mavericks are rebuilding around Flagg, they need as many young pieces and flexible assets as possible. Moving Irving would be painful from a talent standpoint, but this kind of deal would accept reality. The Mavericks are not one veteran guard away from contending. They need to build a younger, deeper team around Flagg, and Mathurin plus a first-round pick gives them a better path.
Why The Rockets Reset With A New Guard
The Rockets make this controversial swap because the Durant experiment may already be pointing in the wrong direction. They went 52-30 and finished fifth in the West, so this is not a bad team. But they are down 3-1 against the Lakers, Durant has only played one game in the series, and the offense has looked too dependent on unstable shot creation. A retool would not be an overreaction if the front office believes this core is still a step or two away.
Darius Garland would not replace Durant as a scorer, but he would fix a more urgent roster problem. Garland averaged 18.8 points, 6.7 assists, and 2.4 rebounds this season while shooting 46.0% from the field and 39.6% from 3. With the Clippers specifically, he averaged 19.9 points and 6.4 assists in 19 games while shooting 43.8% from deep. That is the kind of guard the Rockets have needed: someone who can bring the ball up, organize possessions, shoot off the dribble, and run late-clock offense. With Fred VanVleet injured and probably far away from his best self, Garland would be a clear upgrade.
The fit with Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr., Reed Sheppard, and Tari Eason is better than the Durant timeline. Garland is younger at 26, smaller, and less dominant than Durant, but he solves a position issue. He can run pick-and-roll with Sengun, space the floor when Thompson attacks, and let Sheppard play more off the ball instead of forcing him to be a full-time creator too early.
The picks are a big part of it. A 2031 first-round pick from the Clippers would be valuable because of the age of their new core. By then, Durant, Irving, and Leonard could all be gone or far from their current level. The 2028 second-round pick from the Mavericks is smaller value, but it adds another asset. For the Rockets, this would be about getting younger, adding a real guard, and recovering future draft upside before Durant’s value gets harder to manage.
Final Thoughts
This trade is interesting on paper, but it is almost impossible to see it happening this summer.
The Mavericks have no real reason to rush into a Kyrie Irving trade right away. Their first step should be to see how Irving looks next to Cooper Flagg. If that fit works, Irving can help Flagg get easier shots, keep the offense stable, and take pressure off him in late-game possessions. If it does not work, the Mavericks can revisit the idea later. But moving Irving before testing that partnership would be too aggressive.
The Clippers also have reasons to avoid another all-in star move. After the failed Leonard-George-Harden project, they may prefer to get out of the apron and cap restrictions instead of jumping straight into another old and expensive Big 3. Durant, Irving, and Leonard would be a huge name trio, but it would also bring the same concerns: age, injuries, salary, and very little room to adjust the roster.
The Rockets are the same. They extended Durant for a reason. They wanted a veteran scorer next to their young core, and it would be strange to move him after one bad playoff series. That is even more true because their roster was not fully healthy. Fred VanVleet and Dorian Finney-Smith missed a lot of time, and Durant’s own injury issues hurt their rhythm in the Lakers series. The Rockets can argue that this group deserves a cleaner sample before any major reset.
So, this is more of a future idea than a current one. If the Mavericks struggle with Irving and Flagg, if the Clippers decide to take one last swing, and if the Rockets reach the next deadline unsure about Durant’s future, then the conversation becomes more realistic.
For now, it is a fun blockbuster concept. It would change the league fast. But the timing is probably wrong.
