Anthony Davis, Mavericks
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Anthony Davis of the Dallas Mavericks reacts to an officials call during a game against the San Antonio Spurs.
The Mavericks’ Anthony Davis trade talks just received a key update that could reshape Dallas’s deadline plans.
The Dallas Mavericks have yet to receive an offer that will budge them to part ways with 10-time All-Star Anthony Davis.
Despite persistent speculation linking the Mavericks to the Atlanta Hawks, NBA insider Marc Stein reported Sunday that there is “no meaningful traction” between the two teams on a potential deal involving the 10-time All-Star center.
“There is no meaningful traction at the moment, league sources say, in trade talks between Atlanta and Dallas on an Anthony Davis swap,” Stein wrote in his Substack newsletter, The Stein Line.
From Dallas’s perspective, the lack of traction is neither surprising nor alarming. The Mavericks are still managing the fallout from the controversial Luka Dončić trade — a move that reshaped the franchise, cost former general manager Nico Harrison his job, and strained the team’s relationship with its fan base. In that environment, any transaction involving Davis must deliver clear value, not just cap relief.
Why Dallas Has Little Incentive to Rush a Davis Trade
Davis is not an expiring asset.
The 32-year-old is owed more than $58 million next season and holds a player option worth nearly $63 million for the 2027–28 season. That makes him one of the league’s most expensive players — and one of its most valuable.
If the Mavericks trade him, it will be on their terms.
Not because they must. But because they can.
Dallas has no obligation to accommodate another team’s financial constraints or roster timelines. It can wait for the right return.
Why the Mavericks’ Anthony Davis Trade Talks Are Stalled
According to Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix, a potential Hawks-Mavericks deal has been held up not by a lack of interest but by a lack of assets.
Specifically, the 2026 New Orleans Pelicans first-round pick.
“I can tell you with certainty that the Mavericks have been trying to pry away that New Orleans Pelicans pick from the Hawks for some time now,” Mannix said on the Open Floor podcast. “That has been on the mind of the Mavericks’ front office for some time now.”
That pick is projected to land in the top three of the 2026 draft — a potential franchise-altering asset that Dallas views as essential in any Davis-centered deal with Atlanta.
Without it, there is no meaningful negotiation.
Hawks’ Constraints Are Not Mavericks’ Problem
Stein also reported that Atlanta’s willingness to absorb Davis’ contract depends on its ability to trade Trae Young — a complication that has effectively frozen their flexibility.
That matters to Atlanta.
It does not matter to Dallas.
The Mavericks are not incentivized to accept a package built around expiring contracts, cap relief, or secondary prospects. They are seeking either elite young talent or elite future assets.
Anything less would invite backlash rather than restore trust.
League-Wide Interest Exists — But Only on Dallas’s Terms
The Hawks are not alone.
The Golden State Warriors, Toronto Raptors, and Detroit Pistons have also been earmarked as suitors for Davis, according to league reporting. That breadth of interest only strengthens Dallas’s leverage.
And according to NBA insider Chris Haynes, the expectation around the league is that Davis will be moved before the Feb. 5 trade deadline.
The difference is timing versus urgency. The league expects movement. But the Mavericks do not feel pressure.
The Cooper Flagg Timeline Shapes Dallas’s Patience
Haynes also reported that Dallas is preparing to usher in the Cooper Flagg era — a signal that the franchise’s next phase is already in motion.
That future orientation makes the return for Davis even more critical.
If the Mavericks are pivoting toward a younger core, then the value they extract for Davis must accelerate that transition, not delay it.