Another Mavs stunner!? Shock Durant links as momentum builds for deadline deal

The NBA trade deadline is a few days away and already the landscape of the league has shifted, with the Spurs landing De’Aaron Fox in the latest blockbuster deal.

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It follows the most shocking trade the NBA had ever seen after Luka Dončić and Anthony Davis swapped teams in a deal “done in the shadows”.

Surely there can’t be anymore twists? Well, if Dončić can be dealt anything is possible and one team has an “ambitious” double move in mind that would shake up the league.

‘AMBITIOUS’ DOUBLE MOVE THAT WOULD BLOW UP DEADLINE AS KD GETTABLE

De’Aaron Fox has been shipped away from Sacramento and that came just a day after the blockbuster Dončić-Davis trade no one saw coming. So, what’s next?

Well, the biggest name remaining on the trade block is Jimmy Butler. But could an even bigger name be on the move before Friday’s deadline?

It seems like if there is another superstar that is on another team by Friday, the Golden State Warriors will definitely be involved.

ESPN’s NBA insider Shams Charania said on The Pat McAfee Show that the Warriors are “legitimately calling about every All-Star player”.

“They are dead set on trying to find another star player, superstar player, with Stephen Curry. That is another subplot to this trade deadline as well.”

NBA insider Jake Fischer wrote on The Stein Line that the Warriors are “chief among” teams that have inquired to see if LeBron James is willing to waive his no-trade clause.

For what it’s worth, league sources told Fischer that James has “shown no indication” that he is willing to do so, while The Los Angeles Times’ Dan Woike also reported that the Lakers have “no fear that James will want to leave via a trade this season”.

But the Warriors, who had conversations regarding trade constructions for both Zach LaVine and Nikola Vučević last weekend according to Marc Stein, could still turn their attention elsewhere if James doesn’t change his mind.

Fischer reported that the Warriors have deliberated over not only the idea of landing Butler but also the “feasibility” of reuniting Steph Curry with Kevin Durant.

“Sources say the most ambitious idea being tossed around among Golden State’s decision-makers: Is there any feasible pathway for the Warriors to pull off the dreamiest of outcomes and find a way to bring both James and Durant to The Bay?” Fischer wrote.

“That would require quite the masterstroke. And while pulling that off currently stands as very unlikely, both from a salary-matching and asset valuation standpoint, this is the sort of big-game hunting that has defined these Warriors.”

At this stage, landing at least Durant does appear to be a possibility for Golden State, although Fischer reported that Phoenix “continued to signal that it does not plan to move Durant before the deadline”.

“But the Suns are believed to be listening at the very least to various teams’ pitches for the 35-year-old scoring legend,” Fischer wrote, adding that Durant is “said to be aware” of the talks.

Of course, should the Suns come to the table, Fischer added that the asking price would be “very high” and expected it would include “serious draft capital” and “highly rated young talent”.

For what it’s worth, the Suns “do have a level of interest” in Jonathan Kuminga according to Fischer.

It’s also emerged via The Athletic that Dallas and Houston are also teams to watch in the Durant sweepstakes.

“League sources say the Dallas Mavericks, fresh off their Luka Doncic-for-Anthony Davis swap that sent shockwaves through the Association, have dreams of adding Durant to their Davis-Kyrie Irving-led group,” the report from Sam Amick, David Aldridge and Anthony Slate stated.

“While the likelihood of Dallas pulling this off now appears unlikely, the mere idea of Durant joining Dallas’ star-studded group sheds new light on the thinking of Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison after he was roundly ridiculed for the Doncic deal.

“Whether it’s Durant (now or later), or perhaps even the Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James in the summer if he were to decline his player option for next season, the 52-year-old Harrison appears to be targeting big-time stars with whom he’s very familiar from his past life as a top Nike executive. The goal, of course, is to win a championship as soon as possible.”

So, why would the Suns even entertain the idea of moving off of Durant?

Well, as Fischer went on to explain in his report, the already highly competitive Western Conference just gained another serious contender with San Antonio landing Fox.

Plus, previously any hope of Phoenix trading for Butler involved sending away Bradley Beal. But according to Fischer, the “unrelenting word” continues to be that Beal has “no desire” to waive his no-trade clause.

With that in mind, the only way the Suns could trade for Butler would involve moving either Durant or Devin Booker.

As for the latest on Butler, while ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported on Monday that the Heat superstar has communicated to the Warriors that he is “unwilling to sign an extension there”, there is still some level of interest from Golden State according to Fischer.

Both the Warriors and the Grizzlies, who also know he doesn’t want to play there long-term, are said to be weighing up a move for Butler given his contract only contains a $52 million player option after this season.

“The upcoming rise in Grizzlies’ upcoming payroll, including a lucrative contract extension looming for Jaren Jackson Jr., is at the heart of it,” Fischer added.

Milwaukee had also been floated in a potential Butler trade but Fischer wrote that there has been “little fresh chatter” on that front, with the Bucks instead holding more recent talks about pursuing Washington’s Kyle Kuzma.

WHAT IS THE NEXT FOR THE LAKERS?

Well, in the short-term there is an obvious hole in the big-man depth at Los Angeles and the Lakers are said to already be discussing potential plugs to that ahead of the deadline.

Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor reported that New York’s Mitchell Robinson is one of the targets while Brooklyn’s Day’Ron Sharpe also drew interest from the Lakers last week according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post.

In the long-term, the big question is whether Dončić, whose contract can expire in 2026, will extend with his new team.

According to The Athletic, that uncertainty had the Lakers hesitant to part ways with both of their first-round picks.

Given both sides wanted to keep negotiations a secret they also weren’t able to speak to his agent, Bill Duffy, which made it even harder to gauge just how motivated Dončić would be to stay in Los Angeles long-term.

But now that Dončić has landed in L.A. and the reality of the trade is starting to sink in, The Athletic reported that “all early signs point to a long-term future” with the Lakers.

OTHER RUMOURS AROUND THE NBA

* There is “optimism” for a Lonzo Ball trade in which the Bulls would acquire draft capital (Source: K.C. Johnson)

* Staying in Chicago, ESPN’s Bobby Marks gave three names to keep an eye on ahead of the trade deadline: Ball, Nikola Vučević and “certainly” Coby White. “Look for Chicago to keep building up their draft assets that they have started to accumulate in this Zach LaVine trade,” he added.

* The Atlanta Hawks are keeping an eye on Brandon Ingram (Source: Brian Windhorst, ESPN)