Anthony Davis trade rumors are already heating up in the NBA world.
Not even a year after the Dallas Mavericks acquired the superstar big man from the Los Angeles Lakers, Davis has become the biggest name on the trade block. And the ex-NBA All-Star DeMarcus Cousins believes that a Golden State Warriors trade with the Dallas Mavericks could be an intriguing scenario.
"AD to the Warriors would be interesting," Cousins wrote on social media on Thursday.
Golden State's desire to land a dynamic front-court player has been strong over the years. Their defense has seen plenty of success with Draymond Green at the head of the snake, but Davis would bring size and elite two-way value to the table.
Just last season, Davis split time between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Dallas Mavericks. He produced 24.7 points per game, making over 50 percent of his shots from the field and knocking down 28 percent of his threes on 2.4 attempts per game. Davis earned his second-straight All-Star nod to add to his collection, which now includes 10 nods.
This season, Davis has appeared in five games for Dallas. Seeing the court for 29.8 minutes, Davis is posting averages of 20.8 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks. When healthy, Davis remains one of the top players at his position. Healthy is the keyword here, as injury concerns continue to linger for him.
Not only do Davis's clear injury concerns raise a red flag for every team beyond the Warriors, but so does his contract salary. The All-Star-caliber forward is getting paid the bucks and isn't going to leave Dallas on a bargain price-especially considering he was the returning piece in the Luka Doncic trade.
This season, Davis is making $54 million. Next year, he's set to make $58 million and has a player option attached for the 2027-2028 season, worth $62 million. On paper, Davis would be a great fit for the Steph Curry-led Warriors. Cousins is right to consider that pairing interesting. However, the Warriors would have to part ways with a premier player-likely Jimmy Butler-who they just acquired in a blockbuster last season.
It might be in Golden State's best interest to figure out a way to win with the current core, while making smaller moves to boost the supporting cast.
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