Warriors, Warriors trade, Anthony Davis
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Head coach Steve Kerr (L) and governor Joe Lacob of the Golden State Warriors look on during a game between the Warriors and the San Antonio Spurs during the 2022 NBA Summer League
The Golden State Warriors may no longer have a pathway to landing Anthony Davis before the Feb. 5 trade deadline.
According to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, the 2020 NBA champion prefers to ink an extension with the Mavericks this summer
“AD’s preference would be to stay in Dallas and to get that extension this summer,” MacMahon told ESPN’s “NBA Today” on Monday. “Now, does that make sense for a team trying to build around a teenage prodigy [Cooper Flagg]? You can answer that question on your own.”
Despite his preference to stay put in Dallas, MacMahon noted that the Mavericks prefer to trade Anthony Davis, but could struggle to get a deal done before the summer.
“The Mavericks are trying to generate a good trade market for Anthony Davis,” he stressed. “That is difficult because of the durability issues, and I think more so the dollars. In a situation like this, Rich Paul [AD’s agent] is going to be involved.”
“They are going to want AD traded somewhere that is willing to give him a long, lucrative extension. Mid-season is going to be very difficult for Dallas to make all those pieces fit.”
Warriors Trade Target: AD
MacMahon’s update lines up with recent reporting from The Athletic that an Anthony Davis trade could be difficult to complete before Feb. 5. Davis, who has two years and over $130M left on his deal, would need a suitor willing to go all-in on him.
“As for Davis, my spidey sense tells me that he’ll also be staying put,” The Athletic’s Sam Amick predicted on Jan. 5. “Midseason trades are inherently more complicated than the summertime variety, and the Mavericks are in the midst of an organizational transition that makes this kind of deal difficult to navigate.”
The Athletic’s Josh Robbins noted that a third or fourth team would have to potentially get involved for the Warriors or any other team to land Davis.
“Any trade involving Anthony Davis might require the participation of multiple additional teams, and a large multi-team deal could be so complicated that it would be easier to accomplish during the offseason,” wrote Robbins.
Warriors Facing ‘A Predicament’
The Warriors are reportedly aggressively pursuing frontcourt upgrades, with names such as Davis, Brooklyn Nets’ Nic Claxton, Portland Trail Blazers’ Robert Williams III and the Mavericks’ Daniel Gafford earmarked as their potential trade targets.
However, their unwillingness to move either Draymond Green or Jimmy Butler III has created “a predicament” in their potential dealings with other teams, per The Athletic.
The Warriors are reportedly shopping Jonathan Kuminga ($22.5M), Moses Moody ($11.5M), Buddy Hield ($9.2M) and Brandin Podziemski ($3.6M), with hopes of making roster upgrades ahead of the Feb. 5 trade deadline. They also have up to three first-round picks they can use. And yet, they haven’t been able to drum up enough in traction in trade talks due to their refusal to mvoe Green or Butler.
“…The Warriors might have to accept the fact that this current group — by and large — is going to be it,” Amick reported on Dec. 31.
“Here’s why: Team sources say they’re staunchly against the notion of trading either Draymond Green or Jimmy Butler, which creates quite a predicament when you’re trying to match salaries of high-level players.”