The NBA trade deadline recently passed, and things in the NBA have been shaken up for sure. Jimmy Butler is a Golden State Warrior, Luka Dončić is a Los Angeles Laker, and Anthony Davis is a Dallas Maverick.
With such a changing landscape in the NBA, player movement is always a topic of discussion. The season only has a few months until it reaches the end, and speculation has begun already about who could be on the move.
Could Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant Change Teams?
Former NBA executive and current insider Bobby Marks spoke about some players who could be on the move this offseason, with Kyrie Irving being the player he felt had the most leverage going forward.
"[Kyrie Irving has] the most leverage out of any potential free agent, including LeBron James." 😯 @BobbyMarks42 on three NBA stars that could make a move this summer 👀 pic.twitter.com/x3ZLC8FN63
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) February 19, 2025
“Kyrie Irving has the most leverage out of any potential free agent, including LeBron James and potentially James Harden here.”
Irving has a $43 million player option for next season that he could opt-in to, but it is expected that the Mavericks attempt to lock him in for a longer deal to coincide with the newly acquired Davis.
“Based on how he’s playing, he’s playing like an All-Star, certainly an All-NBA-type candidate with the Luka trade, they cannot afford to lose Irving this offseason.”
“When you look at it, what’s the best option for him and the Mavericks? The best option is aligning him with that Anthony Davis contract, that’s three years, $175 million after this season,” Marks continued.
Marks would also reference Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant, who was previously discussed for a trade before the deadline as the Suns attempted to make a move for Butler.
“The interesting thing with Kevin Durant, he will enter the last year of his contract, he’s extension eligible as soon as the NBA Finals are over, he’s eligible for two years, $124 million. What direction does Phoenix go? What direction does Durant go?”
It will be an interesting offseason if both Durant and Irving are moved, and while it doesn’t seem extremely likely they both move on from their current teams, anything can happen in the NBA.
Will Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks Both Move On?
The Atlanta Hawks essentially gutted their team during the trade deadline, moving several key players in their rotation as they struggled to maintain standing in the play-in spots.
This quietly left many fans wondering if Trae Young could ask out or if the Hawks were gearing up to make a bigger move in the offseason. Marks spoke on what could happen with Young as well:
“As far as where his future is, how it lines up moving forward here, remember Trae Young is about to enter potentially the last year of his contract here, he’s extension eligible also, four years, $229 million.”
This all boils down to if the Hawks are still committed to building around Young or if they are planning to go a different route. That remains to be seen, but this offseason could get very interesting.
