Offseason trade proposal sends Kevin Durant to Mavericks, Klay Thompson to Suns

One NBA analyst proposed that the Dallas Mavericks trade Klay Thompson to the Phoenix Suns for Kevin Durant this offseason. 

Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report proposed the following trade idea between the Mavericks and Suns:

Dallas Mavericks receive: Kevin Durant

Phoenix Suns receive: Klay Thompson, P.J. Washington, Jaden Hardy and two first-round picks

“Why the Mavericks do it: They narrowed their championship window by swapping out Luka Dončić for Anthony Davis, so they must be hyper-focused on the present,” Buckley wrote. “And while there are all kinds of red-flag worries (and dim long-term hopes) for a Durant-Davis-Kyrie Irving trio, few teams—if any—are matching that talent. It might only take them one healthy playoff run to justify the cost of this swap and even the Dončić deal.”

The Suns are expected to trade Durant this offseason, an NBA source told Hoops Wire. Durant doesn’t have a no-trade clause in his contract, but the NBA legend and Phoenix are expected to work together on a trade. 

Durant will make $54.7 million next season in the final year of his contract. He turns 37 in September.

One of the top players in NBA history, Durant is averaging 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists for the Suns this season while shooting 52.7% from the field, 43.0% from beyond the arc and 83.9% from the free-throw line. He’s currently out with an ankle injury.

“Why the Suns do it: A Durant deal feels inevitable, but if Phoenix is keeping Devin Booker around, it won’t want to tear everything down to the studs,” Buckley wrote. “The Suns will want competitive pieces, plus the assets to either add more or keep stored away for the future. Thompson would be an easy fit as a low-maintenance shooter, Washington could help replace some of Durant’s defensive versatility, and Phoenix would hope to strike it rich with the first-round picks (and, to a much lesser extent, Hardy). The Suns would also need to take on more salary to make this work, so the actual return would be a touch larger than it appears here.”

Durant has played for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Golden State Warriors, Brooklyn Nets and Suns. He’s a two-time champion, a two-time Finals MVP, a one-time MVP and a four-time scoring champion.