The Hawks have been the team most closely connected to 10-time All-Star Anthony Davis leading up to the trade deadline, with Marc Stein of The Stein Line recently calling them a “real-deal suitor” for the big man. However, things appear to have slowed — if not stalled completely — with Stein now reporting that there are no serious talks between the two sides as the deadline sits a month away.
“There is no meaningful traction at the moment, league sources say, in trade talks between Atlanta and Dallas on an Anthony Davis swap,” Stein writes.
Rumors have been swirling around the situation, but as I’ve noted, it’s hard to fathom the Hawks paying both Trae Young and Anthony Davis, who would cost roughly $110 million per season combined. It’s likely that if Atlanta does go in this direction, they would have to facilitate another trade that sends Young elsewhere, which is plausible based on several reports suggesting the Hawks are at least open to moving the star point guard.
Stein also adds that while the Hawks appear open for business when it comes to former No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher, they do not appear willing to send him to Dallas in an Anthony Davis deal.
“We also noted last week that ‘it is also increasingly believed that Atlanta is willing to surrender Zaccharie Risacher in the proverbial right scenario’ … but sources with knowledge of Atlanta’s thinking have signaled this week to multiple outlets — including this one — that the Hawks do not believe an in-season swing for Davis meets those parameters when it comes to 2024’s No. 1 overall pick,” Stein continues.
One other intriguing nugget surrounding this entire situation comes from Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix, who reports the Mavericks have been eyeing the Pelicans’ first-round pick that the Hawks acquired on draft night for quite some time.
“I can tell you with certainty, that the Mavericks have been trying to pry away that New Orleans Pelicans pick away from the Hawks, for some time now,” Mannix reports. “That has been on the mind of the Mavericks’ front office for some time now.”
To this point, the Hawks have shown no interest in even discussing a trade involving that pick, and for good reason. It is projected to land inside the top five, if not No. 1 overall, and this draft class is loaded with top-end talent. The only way the Hawks would even consider that kind of deal is for a superstar in his prime, and Davis simply is not that at this stage of his career.
It is evident the Hawks see a vision with Anthony Davis in their frontcourt. The team has performed like a contender when Kristaps Porzingis has been in the lineup, and while Davis has his own durability concerns, he is far more likely to be available than Porzingis, who has appeared in just 16 games this season. Davis is also a significantly better overall player.
Still, envisioning a deal is complicated. The Mavericks have little use for Trae Young with Kyrie Irving under contract, so unless Atlanta is willing to budge on the Risacher front, it feels unlikely a trade involving Davis between the Hawks and Mavericks ultimately comes to fruition.
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Photo: Jevone Moore/Icon Sportswire
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