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Insider Reveals Why Kevin Durant Wasn't Traded to Mavericks

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Alex Kirschenbaum | Last updated Jul 27, 2025 10:22 PM ET

15-time All-Star power forward Kevin Durant almost managed to distract NBA fans from his old team's first NBA Finals appearance in 13 years.

Ultimately, the Oklahoma City Thunder managed to squeak out a championship in a narrow Game 7 victory, benefitting from the Achilles tendon tear of two-time All-NBA Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton in that contest's first quarter. But before they could, the best player ever to don a Thunder jersey (as of this writing, at least), Durant, had to land on a new team.

The 6-foot-11 superstar, still one of the league's most lethal scorers at age 36, was ultimately dealt from the Phoenix Suns to the Houston Rockets in exchange for the No. 10 pick in the 2025 NBA draft, wings Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks, and five future second round selections, as part of the league's first seven-team trade.

Several teams were vying to poach Durant from the Suns even ahead of the 2024-25 season's trade deadline.

According to longtime NBA insider Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson, the Dallas Mavericks sniffed around a potential Durant trade — but ultimately demurred for health reasons. Just not Durant's.

Scoop B (@ScoopB) on Why Kevin Durant Didn't End Up with the Mavs - The ripple effect of Kyrie Irving's injury is wild. Insiders hint that a healthy Irving might've changed Kevin Durant's destination! A twist? @hbculegends @KyleAnthonyKAM #NBADrama #NBA #KyrieIrving pic.twitter.com/XfkDIDXY3h
— Kyle T. Mosley (@ktmoze) July 24, 2025

"The tide of Kevin Durant actually coming to Houston came because the Suns were entertaining phone calls from other teams that were calling at the deadline about Kevin Durant," Robinson said.

"Those teams included Dallas, included the Washington Wizards, included the Golden State Warriors," Robinson added.

Durant hails from Washington, D.C., although his fit as a win-now player makes little sense on a rebuilding-if-talented Wizards roster. The 2014 league MVP won a pair of titles with the Warriors in 2017 and 2018, but chemistry issues compelled his free agent departure in 2019.

"And I'll be honest with you — in just talking to people across the league, I got the sense and I started kind of reporting it around February, March, that had Kyrie Irving not… torn his ACL, we might be having another conversation about Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving [together] as members of the Dallas Mavericks."

Houston won 52 games last season, armed with an appetizing core of All-Star big man Alperen Sengun, All-Defensive forward Amen Thompson, young forwards Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason, and former All-Star point guard Fred VanVleet. Adding Durant, combo forward Dorian Finney-Smith, center Clint Capela and shooting guard Josh Okogie to that group this summer should thoroughly (ahem) rocket the club to title contention next year, where Durant may have to face off against the mighty Thunder.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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