Last season, the Dallas Mavericks pulled off a stunning blockbuster trade when they parted with Luka Doncic. According to one insider, the front office nearly made another huge move had it not been for one major incident.
This offseason, the biggest name on the move in the NBA has been Kevin Durant. The former MVP saw himself dealt from the Phoenix Suns to the Houston Rockets. Armed with an abundance of exciting young talent around him, he’ll be looking to add a third championship to his resumé.
Durant’s name first started popping up in the rumor mill at last year’s trade deadline, but no deal came about. Recently, Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson touched on some of the teams making calls for the star forward. Among the group was the Mavericks, but things fell apart after Kyrie Irving tore his ACL.
“The Suns were entertaining phone calls from other teams. Those teams included Dallas, included the Washington Wizards, included the Golden State Warriors,” Robinson said. “Had Kyrie Irving not injured his knee, tore his ACL, we might be having another conversation about Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving as members of the Dallas Mavericks.”
Scoop B (@ScoopB) on Why Kevin Durant Didn’t End Up with the Mavs – The ripple effect of Kyrie Irving’s injury is wild. Insiders hint that a healthy Irving might’ve changed Kevin Durant’s destination! A twist? @hbculegends @KyleAnthonyKAM #NBADrama #NBA #KyrieIrving pic.twitter.com/XfkDIDXY3h
— Kyle T. Mosley (@ktmoze) July 24, 2025
Dallas would have had to give up most of their depth to pull off such a move, but the final result could have been worth it. Irving and KD have a strong relationship and are two elite offensive talents. The major difference this time around is that they’d have an elite defensive stopper alongside them in Anthony Davis.
Though the potential of this hypothetical big three is limitless, things arguably worked out for Dallas. They have a roster loaded with depth around Irving and AD, and have a foundational prospect to build around long-term in Cooper Flagg. Landing the Duke phenom completely changed the franchise outlook looking forward, where trading for Durant would have given them a small window to contend before having to blow it all up and rebuild.
