Kevin Durant Hoops with Mavs’ Spencer Dinwiddie; Recruiting Tool?
Earlier this week, we wrote about how Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic isn’t really interested in being a talent recruiter for the team. Although Doncic is entitled to that decision — after all, GM Nico Harrison is the guy getting paid big bucks to make roster improvements — the NBA is about relationships, especially between players and other players.
Look around the league, and you’ll find numerous examples of why player relationships matter: LeBron James is the reason Anthony Davis ended up being traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2019. Kyle Lowry chose the Miami Heat over the Mavs in free agency last summer because of his close relationship with Jimmy Butler. Although it hasn’t worked out the way they planned it, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving’s close relationship is why they teamed up with the Brooklyn Nets.
Maybe Doncic’s stance on recruiting talent will change as he gets older. Until then, though, his teammates might have to pick up the slack … and it appears that Spencer Dinwiddie could be in position to do it.
On Friday, Dinwiddie participated in Coach Olin Simplis’ Friday Run in Los Angeles. The NBA posted a video clip of the the session, which showed Dinwiddie and Durant going at it.
Dinwiddie and Durant already have an established relationship from their time together as teammates in Brooklyn from 2019-2021. That said, this shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone, but it’s still nice to see, regardless.
The Nets ultimately hold all the cards when it comes to a potential Durant trade since there’s still four years remaining on his contract, but Dinwiddie putting in a good word for the Mavs — in a non-tampering way, of course — definitely can’t hurt anything. With the market for Durant not being what Brooklyn thought it would be, it appears that they have two choices:
1) Trade Durant for less than what was initially expected (the Minnesota Timberwolves giving up the farm for Rudy Gobert skewed the trade market)
Or…
2) Hope Durant reconsiders his trade request and gives it another run in Brooklyn next season. After what that team went through with Irving last year, they certainly don’t want to find themselves in a similar situation with Durant.
If the Nets choose the first option, then the Mavs have a chance to get their foot in the door … and maybe Dinwiddie’s rubbing shoulders will prove to be helpful as well.
