Trade & FA 2024-25:

[F Gump]

I think this will be a really good test of Nico mindset.  If he goes hard at KD (which almost has to include PJ) ...

No, a KD trade does not have to include PJ. The Mavs can keep all 3 of PJ, Lively, and Christie, and trade everyone else other than AD - Kyrie (gutting their depth, but that's true with about any version because KD has such a large salary to match). If it's me, none of them would be on the table.

And whatever PHX thinks they want, Mavs can always say no, until PHX is more reasonable.

As we have already seen with the Luka trade, a trade doesn't necessarily end up including all the stuff you imagined. It's a matter of negotiation. Nor do I think the PHX price would be sky high. KD is older, which lowers his value, and I don't get the sense that the Suns would want to force KD to stay, which would mean his price should be reasonable enough to allow a trade to happen. If he's pushing for Dallas, that's probably the key factor.