The Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal ‘Big Three’ era has evidently already come to a close for the Phoenix Suns, as its all but a conclusion that the team will work to find Durant a new home this offseason through trade.
With Phoenix searching for a potential trade partner that will look to contend in 2025-26, they’ll likely consider all possible options before pulling the trigger on a deal to part with the former league MVP and two-time NBA Finals MVP.
Though it could initially be a long process to agree to terms on a deal for the 36-year-old future Hall of Fame inductee, recent reports have indicated that the Suns’ best chance of receiving a worthwhile haul in exchange for their superstar would come through a deal involving the desperate Dallas Mavericks.
“If Nico Harrison wants to save face, he needs to make another bold move, and Durant is a perfect player to pursue,” SB Nation’s Ricky O’Donnell wrote Monday afternoon.
“Adding Durant to Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis would be a central casting ‘big three’ of future Hall of Famers at guard, forward, and center.”
“The Mavericks could include Dereck Lively II in this trade, who would be a great young player for Phoenix to acquire.”
“They can include the Lakers’ 2029 first-round pick, which they received in the package for Doncic.”
In what would be the Mavericks’ second mind-bending transaction of the calendar year after the trade that sent Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers earlier this season, Dallas could acquire Durant for an up-and-coming, solid center in Lively II, who proved his immense worth to the Mavericks as a rookie during the team’s run to the 2024 NBA Finals.
At just 21 years old, the explosive 7-foot-1 leaper had contributed 9.1 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.7 blocks while shooting a ridiculous 70.1% from the field for the Mavericks in 32 appearances this season before suffering a fracture in his foot which will cause him to be sidelined for multiple months.
If health permits and Lively II is back to full strength for the 2025-26 season, his potential acquisition by Phoenix could be an overwhelmingly positive one.
Lively II’s main strengths are catching and finishing lob passes in traffic and rising up to reject shots at the rim, two skills he could further perfect as a member of the Suns alongside superstar guard and improved passer Devin Booker.
While Durant’s departure won’t fully be remedied in the moment, Lively II’s presence on the Suns with Nick Richards in the frontcourt could lead to the team becoming a dangerous dark-horse contender in the future if he remains healthy.
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