Trade Proposal Sends Suns’ Kevin Durant To Mavericks

March 6, 2025

Could the Mavericks and Suns pull off an NBA blockbuster swap? ESPN’s latest trade proposal suggests just that, floating a deal that’d send Kevin Durant to Dallas while Phoenix reloads with a haul headlined by Klay Thompson.

Here’s how it breaks down: the Mavericks would land Durant, while the Suns would snag Thompson, P.J. Washington, Naji Marshall, Dereck Lively II, and a 2025 first-round pick from Dallas.

Let’s dig into why this could make sense for both sides — and why it’s got some folks around the league buzzing.

For Dallas, this isn’t about rebuilding; it’s about doubling down. The Mavs already shook the NBA when they shipped a 25-year-old Luka Doncic to the Lakers for 31-year-old Anthony Davis, signaling loud and clear that their championship window is now.

Sources say GM Nico Harrison isn’t shy about that mindset, even with Kyrie Irving sidelined by a torn ACL that’ll likely dent their 2025 outlook.

Adding Durant — a former teammate and tight pal of Irving’s from their Brooklyn days — keeps the Mavs’ perimeter punch alive while Irving heals. Durant’s scoring and playmaking would also lighten the load on Davis, pairing two surefire Hall of Famers in a way that’d make defenses sweat.

Plus, it’d bring KD back to Texas, where he starred as a one-and-done phenom for the Longhorns. Full circle, anyone?

For Phoenix, this deal flips the script. The Suns would deepen their roster overnight, landing Thompson alongside win-now pieces like Washington and Marshall. The real prize, though? Lively II. League execs raved about the kid’s rookie year, where he flashed two-way juice as Dallas charged to the Finals.

Toss in a 2025 first-rounder from a loaded draft class, and suddenly Devin Booker’s got a supporting cast that screams “we’re still in this.” Sources close to the Suns say keeping Booker happy is priority No. 1, and this package might just do it.

Flip the coin, though, and Dallas takes a gamble. This move leaves them top-heavy — a trio of stars in Durant, Davis, and (eventually) Irving, surrounded by a thin bench. Health becomes the X-factor; one tweak to an ankle, and the whole thing could unravel.

It’s a steep price and a big risk, no doubt. But after moving Doncic, hasn’t Harrison already shown he’s all-in on swinging for the fences? Word around the league is the Mavs actually aren’t just messing around — and this hypothetical from ESPN only fuels that fire.