Get Ready for More Rumors of Dallas Mavericks Looking to Trade for Kevin Durant

Before Kevin Durant was traded from the Phoenix Suns to the Houston Rockets last offseason, there were a lot of rumors that the Dallas Mavericks could have been a team interested in acquiring him. He and Kyrie Irving played together with the Brooklyn Nets, and that time didn't go the way they wanted.

After just one season in Houston, Durant may have already worn out his welcome. He tends to have a theme of leaving teams unhappier than when he joined them, and that seems to be the case once again with the Rockets. Michael Pina of The Ringer reported that "there’s a chance they’ll turn him into a stepping stone this summer."

Pina listed the Mavericks as one of the 22 teams that would have "varying degrees of interest" in trading for Durant, who will make $43.9 million next year, then has a player option worth just over $46 million for the 2027-28 season.

Durant is still one of the game's greatest scorers, as he averaged 26.0 PPG on nearly 50/40/90 shooting. He'll go down as one of the greatest 15 players of all time. That doesn't mean he's worth everything else that comes with it. One of the many reasons he could be on his way out of Houston was drama surrounding a possible burner account of his, where he heavily criticized many of his current teammates in messages.

Durant is one of the more chronically online superstars, but he has oddly been pretty silent since those rumors came out, which makes people believe that really was him.

Apr 21, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) looks on from the court in the second half of game two of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Let's Explore a Possible Mavericks-Kevin Durant Trade

The Dallas Mavericks need to focus on building the best possible team around Cooper Flagg. While having Kevin Durant could really help Flagg grow as a scorer, it's reasonable to doubt whether he would help Flagg grow as a leader.

Building a team around Flagg also means building it for the future, not just for next year. Giving up any kind of significant assets for Durant would be a mistake for the Mavs. The Rockets will likely expect a similar package in return to what they gave up, which was Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, and the 10th overall pick of the 2025 NBA Draft (Khaman Maluach).

For the salaries to work, the Mavericks would need to give up probably P.J. Washington and Klay Thompson, but 2026 is the last year the Mavs control their first-round pick until 2031. They can't afford to give up that pick, which is why this won't be an avenue they should explore.

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