NBA superstar Kevin Durant has already requested a trade from the Brooklyn Nets. This past summer, he was ready to leave the franchise behind after a season of chaos and turmoil.
Meanwhile, in Dallas, the Mavericks have a serious problem when it comes to depth on their roster. Aside from Luka Doncic, nobody on the Mavericks can be counted on to produce consistently and it has contributed to an up-and-down season so far.
On paper, the teams don’t appear to have much in common, but there could be a way they can help each other get out of their messy situations. In fact, according to one trade suggestion, they could even get the Lakers involved in the action…
Mavs receive: Kevin Durant, Kendrick Nunn
Lakers receive: Kyrie Irving, Davis Bertans
Nets receive: Russell Westbrook, Tim Hardaway Jr., Dwight Powell, Josh Green, Lakers’ 2027 first-round pick, Lakers’ 2029 first-round pick, Mavs’ 2027 first-round pick, Mavs’ 2029 first-round pick, and Mavs’ pick swaps in 2024, 2026 and 2028.
Is that still a pie-in-the-sky idea? Perhaps … but it’s worth trying if you’re the Mavs’ front office. Worst-case scenario is that the Nets and Lakers say “no,” and you simply move on to other ideas. Dallas will have more flexibility to get its foot in the door of big trades without help from a third team starting next summer, but if a big opportunity arrises before then, there’s no time like the present – especially when teams are reaching high desperation levels.
Sports Illustrated’s trade idea
Mavs receive: Kevin Durant
Lakers receive: Tim Hardaway Jr., Davis Bertans, Dwight Powell
Nets receive: Russell Westbrook, Josh Green, Lakers' 2027 first-round pick, Mavs' 2027 first-round pick, Mavs' 2029 first-round pick pic.twitter.com/aydkZCeqJc
— Lakers Daily (@LakersDailyCom) December 9, 2022
The Lakers have been linked to Kyrie Irving for some time now, so it makes sense that they would be the third team included in the deal. With Kyrie, LeBron, and Davis, the Lakers could return to their status of title contenders.
The question is, where would it leave the Mavericks?
Can The Mavericks Really Land Kevin Durant?
As it stands, the Nets aren’t really in a position where they should be trading away their franchise guys… at least, not yet. At 14-12 on the season, it’s unlikely the Net make any significant moves unless they suffer a major collapse over these next few weeks.
Still, it’s nos secret that KD has a lot of respect for Doncic and what he brings to the court.
“Luka is, I mean for somebody who has the ball in his hands as much as he does and he controls the whole game with his pace,” said Durant. “He gets a good shot every time, I mean that’s rare for somebody who has the ball all game. So, I was watching some of his film and his ball-handling, getting to the rim, how he’s bringing guys down on the midrange now. A few years ago, it was just threes and layups, now he’s posting guys up, shooting fadeaway, lot of middy work. He’s just made himself into a complete offensive player. So being able to guard him is only going to make me better, so I wanna take up that challenge. He’s strong, and taller than a lot of guys that’s guarding him at that position.”
Obviously, a Doncic/Durant frontcourt would be impossible to stop, and, together, they could make the Mavericks favorites to win the title.
For now, it’s nothing more than wishful thinking because the nets aren’t ready to make a deal. But if the moment comes when Brooklyn does decide to hit the reset button, Dallas could be one of the many teams to answer the call.
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