Why Mavs could trade for $194 million Suns superstar Kevin Durant

KD to the Mavs?

"If we've learned anything about the Mavs and general manager Nico Harrison, it's that even the biggest moves stay under wraps. That Dallas managed to move Luka Dončić without so much as the faintest tidbit of news leaking will forever remain incredible—and it should also keep everyone on their toes," Hughes writes.

"Who's to say the Mavs' interest in KD was overstated? That organization keeps everything close to the vest. No one should put it past Dallas to announce that a Durant deal is done on the first day of the new league year.

"What's more, the Mavericks should be operating in panic mode. They don't control their own first-rounder from 2027 to 2030, they just gave away a cornerstone who would have sustained them for a decade, and their prioritization of AD over picks means they're firmly in win-now mode."

Trading for Durant would suggest that the Mavs want to win sooner rather than later, but how much can the future Hall-of-Famer do with a roster that can barely sniff the Play-In Tournament?

The Mavs need to figure out what direction they are going in and commit to it, regardless of the destination.