The Athletic throws out the possibility of the Mavericks pursuing LeBron James, as the team's new vision becomes clearer

The last time Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry teamed up in the NBA, the result was three NBA Finals appearances and two titles in three years. And then, a few years after separating, they got together as part of the USA Basketball Avengers with LeBron James to lead the United States to a gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics last summer.

With the clock ticking toward Thursday at 3 p.m. ET, the 2025 NBA trade deadline has already been one for the ages. The entire basketball world is still in shock over Luka Doncic getting shipped to the Lakers.

The Lakers’ blockbuster addition dramatically moved them up the oddsboard as a legitimate threat to win the NBA Finals, with Los Angeles shifting from 40/1 down to 14/1 at BetMGM Sportsbook. Those 14/1 odds are tied for the fifth-best mark, and the Lakers are unlikely to be done dealing ahead of Thursday’s NBA Trade Deadline.

Remove all the filler, the Mavericks and Lakers swapped All-Star players with Doncic and Davis. Take some time to digest that. The aftermath of this seismic deal will be felt for

The Trail Blazers would likely want to make room to have more minutes for Donovan Clingan, who they recently selected early in the 2024 NBA Draft. For the Lakers, meanwhile, Ayton could have at least some tangible valuable as a player who has postseason experience and tremendous size on the inside.