Over the past three weeks, NBA reporters and analysts have created and pushed the narrative that the Dallas Mavericks might undergo a fire sale. The franchise recently relieved former General Manager Nico Harrison of his duties just months after trading away superstar and fan-favorite Luka Doncic. The team is 4-11 through their first 15 games of the season, and Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving remain sidelined. Chicago was a commonly used trade partner for hypothetical scenarios due to their looming cap space, newfound contention hopes, and draft capital available to deal. This afternoon, Mark Cuban made a statement that gives a final verdict on where his star big man will land.
Not Trading AD
Mark Cuban, minority owner and former majority stakeholder in the Dallas Mavericks, was recently called upon to rejoin the decision-making committee for future roster moves. During the Doncic trade, he was removed from that designation and was surprised to hear that the franchise chose to part ways with the cornerstone asset and one of the most generational talents the NBA has seen this decade. Now that he’s back, impacting roster changes, he was asked about the potential fire sale and whether Davis would honestly be dealt in the coming months. Despite the sluggish start to the year, his answer remained firm that the team would see the experiment through.
Mark Cuban is back in the fold with the Mavericks, and told @TheAthleticNBA they won’t trade Anthony Davis because ‘we want to try to win’ https://t.co/rsMLQROKsR
— Joe Vardon (@joevardon) November 19, 2025
Dallas has yet to get an honest look at the Davis and Irving pairing. Since joining the team, the 32-year-old All-Star has only appeared in 14 games, and only five this season. Although many disagreed with Harrison’s decision to trade for the injury-prone center, his vision has yet to be tested between the lines. With the addition of Cooper Flagg this offseason, it’s a smart move to see how the trio of stars performs together before ditching the entire plan. For Chicago, it might be a saving grace.
Chicago Should Not Have Gone After AD
Now it is a moot point because he’s reportedly off the table in trade talks, but the Bulls should have never entertained this deal. Davis is a star when he’s healthy, but that’s far from a guarantee. Throughout his career, he has missed nearly 23% of his possible outings and has not played more than 76 games in a single season during his 14-year NBA tenure. Even though Nikola Vucevic is on an expiring contract and the Bulls seem to have a surplus of starting-level guards, they should use their assets to invest elsewhere. Last time Arturas Karnisovas made a similar trade, Vucevic was acquired for far too much draft capital, and the franchise was set back for the next five years.
With Nico Harrison gone, the Anthony Davis era in Dallas might be over 😳
Should the Mavericks & Bulls make this trade to send AD home to Chicago? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/CwE5lWWmQX
— FanDuel Sportsbook (@FDSportsbook) November 11, 2025
Thankfully for the Bulls, better minds have taken control in Dallas, and they will not be reaching out for a trade surrounding the aging, expensive, overrated former All-NBA talent.
Should Chicago contemplate moving some of their expiring contracts or young guards for a more established All-Star talent to pair with the emerging Josh Giddey, or ride with the current group in hopes of clinching a playoff spot for the first time in four seasons?