The Dallas Mavericks seem primed to trade Anthony Davis per recent reports, but they'd be doing themselves a disservice if they don't hire a new GM before doing it. Currently, the main leaders in Dallas' front office are interim co-GMs Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi, but if these individuals aren't poised to lead the next rendition of this Mavericks team around Cooper Flagg, why should they be dictating the return in a potential Davis trade?
Dallas could obviously promote one of Finley or Riccardi to head GM from within, but if this doesn't end up being the case, which seems more likely than not, then the Mavericks may not be making a Davis trade that totally aligns with Flagg and their future. Recent rumors would suggest the Atlanta Hawks have the most interest in Davis, but with the value of a potential return package from Atlanta being largely uncertain at this point, the Mavs don't have a clear direction with a Davis trade.
Given recent anecdotes from governor Patrick Dumont, it wouldn't be surprising to see Dallas keep Davis beyond the trade deadline, even if it could prove detrimental in the long run. While Finley has been around the league for a long time and Riccardi has previous front office experience, neither of these guys has been a head GM since working in the NBA, which is fairly concerning considering the stakes that are at play in a potential Davis trade.
Why trading Anthony Davis before hiring a new GM is a massive risk
The Mavericks can't act preemptively when it comes to trading Davis, as Finley and Riccardi will have to be even better than their experience would suggest, as settling for a lowly return package in a Davis trade would be a catastrophe for the Mavericks.
Regardless of how much of an abomination the Davis-Luka Doncic trade was, the Mavericks can't afford to settle for a Davis trade being on the precipice of the Flagg era, as Dallas needs to milk as many young assets and draft capital as possible if they end up trading him.
Idealistically, a new GM or figurehead of the front office would be best equipped to sort this problem out, as whatever they trade Davis for would be players they want to pair alongside Flagg for the future, but there could be a disconnect in the future vision for this team if Dallas elects to hire a new GM this offseason instead of in the near future.
Ultimately, the Mavericks have a cloud of uncertainty hanging over them when it comes to their front office infrastructure for the foreseeable future, so fans can only hope and pray that Dallas takes the best course of action when it comes to Davis ahead of the February 5 trade deadline. There's no reason to rush a Davis trade, especially with Dallas being as bad as they are this season, but they also can't pass up a golden opportunity to accrue young assets if that is presented to them.
Trading Davis for Doncic will always be seen as one of the worst moves in NBA transaction history, but Dallas' interim front office making a faulty Davis trade in the aftermath would be even worse, so they have to operate as carefully as possible. If one of Finley or Riccardi is one of the main spearheads in a Davis trade, it may be best for the Mavericks that they take over as GM, as this decision isn't a walk in the park for anyone.