With the official start of free agency just days away, the Dallas Mavericks have now emerged as a last-minute participant in the highly-anticipated Kevin Durant sweepstakes.
According to Chris Mannix of SI, while the New York Knicks and the Brooklyn Nets are two of the frontrunners to sign Durant, the Mavs will also look to jump in on the action.
The Knicks and Nets will offer full max contracts, willing to gamble on getting three good years from Durant for the price of four. Dallas—with Mavs owner Mark Cuban long coveting Durant—will try to get into the mix too.
Durant's Achilles injury will force him to miss the entirety of next season, but for most teams, this is barely an issue. Teams like the Knicks, Nets, and the Mavs will be more than willing to offer one of the best players in the game today with a max deal regardless of what they consider to be nothing more than a minor speed bump.
For their part, Dallas should prove to be quite an interesting destination for Durant, with him looking at the prospect of forming a Big 3 with Kristaps Porzingis and Luka Doncic. The Mavs have enough cap space to sign Durant, so on paper, this is definitely a real possibility.
Nonetheless, despite his recent decision to decline his player option with the Golden State Warriors next season, the Dubs are still the odds-on favorite to retain the services of Durant. Nothing is set in stone, however, and at this point, anything can definitely happen.