Quinn Cook says the Mavericks were closer to landing Kevin Durant than people think. In a chat on Scoop B Selects, the former guard claimed Durant was “100 percent” ready to join Dallas this summer if not for Kyrie Irving’s ACL injury.
“Oh yeah. 100 percent,” said Cook. “I know their relationship, you know? I know their relationship. I think Dallas had a very good chance of getting him.”
Kevin Durant is one of the NBA’s great enigmas and nobody really knows what he’s thinking but him. Still, if anyone might have a clue what Durant really wants, it’s his former teammate Quinn Cook who he won two championships with.
Cook, a former NBA veteran, played with Durant on the Warriors from 2017 to 2019. He was a streaky offense guard with career averages of 6.4 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game. On the Warriors, he played a minor role but he still got enough experience to get a sense for what kind of person Kevin Durant is.
As someone who is naturally loyal and fiery competitive, Durant works best with someone who could match his energy and Kyrie Irving was the perfect match. They became friends before becoming teammates in 2019 and are still close today. That’s despite their failed stint in Brooklyn together, which ended in disaster and chaos as both stars forced their way out.
Cook says that Durant would play with Irving again in a heartbeat and they nearly did this past summer. During Durant’s final days with the Suns, he was considering his options and the Mavericks were in play as a potential destination, even after giving up Luka Doncic.
In Dallas, Durant and Irving could have been reunited in an epic redemption story for the teammates. With the stability that Dallas offers and the freedom that Jason Kidd allows his players, the Mavericks could have thrived with the veteran duo leading the way.
Unfortunately, Irving’s ACL injury in March crushed those dreams for the Mavericks. At 33 years old, Irving was on the tail-end of his prime and it’s unsure if he’ll ever be the same again. At the very least, it’s going to take him most of this season to recover and the Mavs will have to find someone to slot in his place.
For Durant, who turned 37 this month, time is short. If he wants to maximize the final stage of his career, he needs to join a team that will compete for a title now. As-is, the Mavericks are a wildcard in the West and Irving’s injury gives them an uncertain future. Meanwhile, the Rockets are everything Durant could want in his final NBA stop.
In Houston, Durant joins a team with a strong identity, proven coach, winning culture, and enough talent to ensure he isn’t fighting alone out there. Still, regardless of Durant’s loyalties, a sense of “what if” will always linger in the air on a potential reunion with Irving.
Durant may be suiting up for Houston now, but Quinn Cook’s comments give us a glimpse of how close the league came to seeing a KD-Kyrie reunion in Dallas. It’s a reminder that in the NBA, timing can change everything, and one injury was enough to rewrite the entire landscape.
