The Dallas Mavericks have been one of the few teams linked with a Kevin Durant acquisition in the summer.
Durant, 36, is expected to leave the Phoenix Suns in the summer after the franchise unsuccessfully tried to trade him to the Golden State Warriors over the winter. With Durant scorned and the Suns looking set to be under .500 this season, their association will likely end.
The Mavericks are coming off the franchise-altering decision to trade Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis. The roster was built around Doncic who was coming off an NBA Finals appearance, but they traded him before he was up for a supermax contract extension in the summer. Now they’re building a contender in a shortened window with the 32-year-old Davis.
As a result, the team is linked with acquiring Durant to try and make a big three of Durant, Davis, and Kyrie Irving to win a title within the next few seasons. A potential trade would be expensive for the Mavericks.
Trade Details
Dallas Mavericks Receive: Kevin Durant
Phoenix Suns Receive: PJ Washington, Daniel Gafford, Naji Marshall, Caleb Martin, 2029 First-Round Pick (LAL)
This trade allows the Suns to essentially reset their championship core immediately and build around Devin Booker with a proven supporting cast. The Mavericks trade depth for a superstar, hoping that the top-tier talent of Davis, Durant, and Irving leads them through the NBA Playoffs.
The Mavericks Will Regret Giving Up So Many Players
Since trading Doncic, the Mavericks have had cursed injury luck, with four players already ruled out for the season. One of them is Kyrie Irving, who tore his ACL and is expected to spend most of next season on the shelf as well.
Acquiring Durant is putting a Band-Aid on the situation, as the short-term production loss from Irving might be replaced by Durant, but the team’s depth will be weak.
Durant is still an All-NBA caliber player, averaging 26.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 4.3 assists this season. If he and Davis are healthy to start next season, they can lead the Mavericks powerfully.
However, there’s no guarantee Irving will return to the court as the same player we saw carrying Dallas after the Doncic trade. He’ll still be a problem, but he definitely won’t have the same level of shiftiness that confounds defenses.
Although the theoretical potential of this trio is incredible given how they can perfectly complement each other, the team will have to completely revamp its forward rotation behind Durant. They’re losing too many players. It’s a shortsighted move that could collapse with even a short-term injury given Irving will already start the season on the shelf.
The Suns Get Handed A Lifeline
This deal might singlehandedly save the Devin Booker era in Phoenix. While other teams could potentially offer more robust pick packages to the Suns, team owner Mat Ishbia has already publicly declared disdain for future draft assets. They essentially replace four rotational players in this deal and give Booker a brand new, complementary, and competitive core around him.
PJ Washington is averaging 14.5 points and 8.1 rebounds this season, breaking out as a real championship-level third option. Naji Marshall is a versatile wing option averaging 12.8 points and 4.7 rebounds for the Mavericks.
Daniel Gafford has been a key rim-protecting and lob-finishing center, averaging 12.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks. Caleb Martin hasn’t been very impactful due to injuries and is averaging 8.4 points and 4.1 rebounds this season.
Marshall and Ryan Dunn will be a great small forward combo while Washington can be the starter ahead of Royce O’Neale. Gafford and Nick Richards would be a fierce center duo with Oso Ighodaro also being an option. This might not be a ready-made contender, but it sorts out their roster for the foreseeable future.
Suns Find New Life, Mavericks Give Away Theirs
This is a brand-new rotation around Devin Booker and one that can even justify bringing Bradley Beal off the bench as a scorer. The team will need to add some guard depth to their roster by potentially making an additional trade by moving Martin or O’Neale for a guard, but they’re basically set in every position after this deal.
Replacing four rotational players will be tough. They’ll retain Dereck Lively II and Klay Thompson as key starters, although Lively has his own set of injury concerns. Jaden Hardy will be expected to play a key rotational role alongside guys like Max Christie and the potentially resigning Dante Exum and Spencer Dinwiddie.
Olivier Maxence-Propser will be promoted to a rotational role as well, but other forward positions will need to be filled given they lose three players in those positions in this deal. Same with a backup center. It’s too many holes and few fixes, which would further certify this team as having no future beyond 2027.
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