Kevin Durant says teams aren't held to same 'loyalty' expectations as players are after stunning NBA trade

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Sunday morning's Luka Don?i?-Anthony Davis swap is being widely regarded as the most shocking and star-powered trade in sports history.

It's so big that it was believed that ESPN's Shams Charania, who broke the story, was hacked, and other reporters reached out to him to make sure his X account was secure.

But alas, the Dallas Mavericks decided to trade a 25-year-old MVP candidate just months after he carried them to an NBA Finals appearance in an attempt to improve their defense.

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Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant during the NBA playoff game against the Clippers, April 22, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

The Mavs traded up to the third pick in the 2018 NBA Draft to select Don?i?, whose $207 million extension from 2021 is set to expire this season. Being due for a super-max deal worth $345 million, it's apparent that it played a role in Don?i? being moved five days before the NBA's trade deadline.

Kevin Durant has been traded before – it's slightly different, as he requested to be traded from the Brooklyn Nets to the Phoenix Suns (he also left the Oklahoma City Thunder for the Golden State Warriors, and them jumped ship to Brooklyn). But Durant called out NBA teams for their lack of loyalty to their stars, while it's expected that players be loyal to them - 

"Players are held to a different standard of loyalty and commitment to a program, but the organizations don't get held to that same standard from the outside world, the media members, the fans. We all should be held to that same standard," Durant said upon hearing the news.

Luka Don?i? of the Mavericks handles the ball against Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers at American Airlines Center on Feb. 26, 2023, in Dallas. (Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)

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"It's a transactional game. There's a lot of money involved, a lot of business involved. We shouldn't be too shocked about trades and guys moving to different teams, coaches moving to different teams. It's just the nature of playing basketball and us making this much money, too. It's a pretty wild time, especially around trade deadline."

After this megadeal, Durant says the stove could be hot in the NBA.

"You start seeing stuff like that, as an organization, you might get a little more courage to do some stuff. You see another team trade away somebody like that. This got to be the biggest trade I've seen since I've been in the league or since I've been watching the sport. This is insane. So yeah, every other team might get confidence and say f--- it, I'll trade a few of my top players if this ain't working."

It's the first time in NBA history two reigning All-NBA players were traded for one another midseason. 

The Lakers received Don?i?, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris, while the Mavericks took on Davis, Max Christie and Los Angeles' 2029 first-round pick. To settle it all out, the Utah Jazz acquired Jalen Hood-Schifino and two second-round picks.

The Slovenian led the NBA with 33.4 points per game last season and won't turn 26 until later this month. In his career, he averages 28.6 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 8.3 assists, putting himself in the MVP conversation every year of his young career.

Mavericks guard Luka Don?i? reacts after a play against the Boston Celtics during the NBA Finals, June 12, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

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Davis, a defensive player of the year candidate last year, is putting up 25.7 points and 11.9 rebounds this season, both slightly better than his career averages of 24.2 and 10.7.

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