With the final hours ticking by until the NBA's trade deadline passes, the Phoenix Suns look likely to remain as they are and not make any more moves. That is not for the want of trying on Jimmy Butler's part however, as he is rumored to want to get to The Valley to continue his career and most crucially of all, sign a contract extension there.
But in the wake of Luka Doncic heading to the Los Angeles Lakers - and to a lesser extend the San Antonio Spurs landing De'Aaron Fox - it feels like the league has hit a stretch of unpredictability we have rarely seen before. Which is why Kevin Durant's name has emerged late in the day as a potential trade candidate for the Golden State Warriors.
Now the Dallas Mavericks could have joined the fray late in the day.
That's according to The Athletic, who have cited sources in the league as saying the Mavericks "dream" of adding Durant to their star duo of Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis. Not only that, but the Mavericks could be willing to wait until Durant hits free agency to make this dream a reality, although at 36-years-old it would surely be more beneficial to add him sooner rather than later.
This obviously seems ridiculous, until you consider some of the key reasons why Mavericks' General Manager Nico Harrison - a name sure to become infamous in table quizzes in future - turned Doncic into Davis, Max Christie and a future first round draft pick in the first place. He wants to win as soon as possible - and much like the Suns' reasons for trading for Durant - he would help them achieve that.
“There has been belief, which multiple team and league sources expressed to me over the past months long before this trade, that Harrison does not have a long-term desire to remain in his current role as general manager.”
— MFFL NATION (@NationMffl) February 4, 2025
- @tim_cato on Nico Harrison’s future in Dallas. pic.twitter.com/q4nJ8sywva
Pair that with the fact Harrison has a relationship with Durant - just like he does Davis - going back to his time with Nike, and this begins to feel more realistic. Perhaps most surprising of all, several sources have claimed that Harrison has no real desire to be in his current position long-term, and so made the Doncic deal with winning right now very much in mind.
As infuriating as that much be to fans in Dallas, it is also another reason why he would swing for a Durant deal. He's still one of the best scorers in the league, and having an actual big man in Davis to play off - as opposed to being asked to play the five by the Suns in certain lineups out of necessity - would appear to be the best use of his skills.
There is still the question of Irving, but there may be unfinished business for himself and Durant. Their experiment with the Brooklyn Nets never really got off the ground for several reasons, but there's no doubt the two still remain tight. A chance to go back in the trenches together - with Davis along for the ride - could hold appeal to them.
As great a player as James Harden was when he was with the two, having Davis in his place makes more sense from a basketball perspective. He's one of the best defensive players in the game, something that has never been said of Harden. Most worryingly of all from the perspective of the Suns, it would also give Durant a better chance to win a championship.
His legacy sure would take another hit - but if he had another ring to show for it at the end of his career - would Durant really care. Perhaps this is the out that Suns' owner Mat Ishbia needs, because his own attempts to go all in and win have failed up to this point. Better to let Harrison and the Mavericks figure that out for themselves, while they retool around Booker for another run.