The Dallas Mavericks are confirmed to finish below .500 this season. The Los Angeles Lakers handed them their 42nd loss of the season on Wednesday night in a 97-112 disappointment for the Mavericks.
This is the second time in the last three seasons the Mavericks have finished below .500, and now they no longer have someone like Luka Doncic to rally around. The team decided to trade him, and now they need to do everything to ensure they can win a title before the Lakers win one with Luka.
With Kyrie Irving expected to spend most of next season injured, there really isn’t a lot of competitive hopes on a Mavericks roster that is overloaded with frontcourt players who need a point guard to feed them. However, they could consolidate that depth to facilitate a Kevin Durant acquisition from the Phoenix Suns, as the forward is looking to find a new home in the summer..
Trade Details
Dallas Mavericks Receive: Kevin Durant
Phoenix Suns Receive: Klay Thompson, PJ Washington, Daniel Gafford, 2025 First-Round Pick (DAL), 2026 First-Round Pick Swap (DAL)
Both the team and the player need each other, as Durant can give Mavericks fans the hope that they can remain competitive with him and Davis leading the team while Irving recovers. Meanwhile, the 36-year-old Durant gets a potentially final chance at playing for an elite veteran-laden contender who is just as desperate to win as him.
The Mavericks Take A Huge Gamble By Giving Up Depth
The Mavericks have had to get creative to ensure their offensive production can keep up long enough for their defense to be their title-winning difference. After being ranked perennially in the top-10 of league offenses under Doncic, the Mavericks have been among the worst in the NBA since Luka left and Kyrie got hurt. No acquisition on the market can fix that problem as much as Kevin Durant.
The forward is averaging 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.2 assists this season. He would’ve easily been an All-NBA selection if he hadn’t gotten hurt and if the Suns had made the Playoffs. At no point this season did the Suns even look remotely competitive during Durant’s absence, going 2-16 in those games. They ultimately were average with Durant, but that’s a far cry from being among the league’s worst.
This trade sees the forward replace three Mavericks, as the team needs a guard to create opportunities for them. Durant can score against every defense in the NBA and has proven his capabilities over a nearly 20-year career. He’s at the end of it, but the Mavericks employ many people with whom Durant has had strong relationships.
Nico Harrison signed Durant to Nike, Jason Kidd was one of his mentors, and Kyrie Irving is a former teammate of his. Just the influence of those three can create the best situation for success for Durant after some strife-stricken years, similar to what the franchise did for Kyrie after 2023.
The Suns Make The Best Of A Bad Situation
No team in the NBA has as bleak a future as the Suns. They control two weak first-round picks from now to 2031, with all other assets spent away on creating the most expensive roster in NBA history. Now, they’re not even in the Play-In Tournament, and the team has no assets to make adjustments in the trade market. They can’t even move off the biggest anchor on their roster, Bradley Beal, due to his no-trade clause.
If the Suns hope to improve, trading Durant is the only way. In this deal, they’re getting three real rotational players that Devin Booker can succeed alongside. PJ Washington is averaging 14.7 points and 7.8 rebounds this season, emerging as a key two-way multi-positional wing in Dallas. Daniel Gafford will solve the team’s season-long center issues, averaging 12.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks this season.
A veteran who Booker will enjoy playing alongside will be Klay Thompson, who’s averaging 14.1 points this season. Since losing an elite shot-creator like Doncic, Klay’s skillset is muted in Dallas, especially now that they don’t have a playmaker setting him up in the corner. There’ll be a lot more teams vying for Durant, but this package could just be the most compelling.
Getting three players of this caliber, a likely lottery pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, and a potentially valuable 2026 first-round pick swap is a huge haul for the Suns. The players also promise to make them more competitive, if not contention-worthy, provided the Suns somehow find a way to dump Beal.
Different Paths To The Same Goal
Both these teams are looking to be contenders, and both are hoping to do it in different ways through this deal. The Suns will accept multiple rotational players instead of a star to give Devin Booker the best chance at leading the squad to success. These are proven Playoff performers who are happy to play their role, something Booker hasn’t had in recent years alongside him.
The Mavericks have had success with a deep roster and willingly started tearing it down with the Doncic trade. Now, their roster depth is pointless without a point guard unlocking it. As they’ll wait for Irving to return, instead of complicating their guard depth, they can just add a star forward who can play alongside Kyrie when he returns while carrying the team in his absence.
