Just days after pulling off the most shocking trade in NBA history, the Dallas Mavericks were still trying to pull off one final move before the deadline. According to league insider Ian Begley, the Mavericks were working hard to acquire Kevin Durant before today’s deadline.
“I was told that the Mavericks were very aggressive as recently as Wednesday trying to find other teams to get involved so they can make the math work and bring Kevin Durant to Dallas,” said Begley. “Nothing came to fruition and there was a moment where it was gonna be Durant for Butler. But Miami couldn’t get to where the Phoenix Suns wanted. You don’t see this a lot, where the star player is being openly discussed in trades. So depending on what happens in Phoenix the rest of the way, if they don’t reach their ultimate goal here, you have to assume Durant’s gonna be popping up again in talks in the offseason.”
The Mavericks were in the Luka Doncic business for seven years and he led them deep into the playoffs multiple times in his career. So when the Mavericks suddenly traded him to the Lakers this year, it completely reset the NBA landscape and we are still seeing the effects.
In Phoenix, Kevin Durant has been comfortably leading the franchise for years now and he’s in the middle of another All-Star season with averages of 26.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game on 52.4% shooting. Leading up to the trade deadline, Durant was linked to several teams as a possible trade target and it’s well known that he spurned the chance to reunite with his former teammate Stephen Curry.
We don’t know how close the Mavericks came to a deal but acquiring Durant would have changed everything. With Kyrie Irving on the roster, they could have reunited Durant with his friend and former co-star while plugging him next to Anthony Davis for a defensive frontcourt.
In Dallas, Kevin Durant would have elevated the Mavericks to a position of power in the West, on par with other elite teams like the Thunder, Grizzlies, and the Houston Rockets. He could have taken them to the Finals and validated their decision to move on from Luka.
In the end, however, the Mavericks were unable to orchestrate the three-team deal necessary to acquire Durant. With such limited assets, the Heat didn’t have enough to complete the trade and it fell apart before it gained any real traction.
Moving forward, the Suns are expected to keep their core for the foreseeable future and their only path to improvement will be from the inside. At 36 years old, Kevin Durant will be leading the way and he wants to take the Suns as far as he can.
As for the Mavericks, they are betting that their new core of Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, and Klay Thompson will be enough for them to compete. Those players along with Max Christie will make the Mavericks a formidable foe in the West but they will do whatever it takes to keep improving the team.
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