This week was the end of an era for the Atlanta Hawks, as star point guard Trae Young was traded to the Washington Wizards in exchange for veteran guard CJ McCollum and forward Corey Kispert on Wednesday.
But for Dallas basketball fans, the real intrigue lies in what the trade could unlock: with new speculation that the Mavericks could offload Anthony Davis to a team like the Hawks, or somewhere else in a multi-team deal, potentially kicking off another big reset for a struggling Mavs squad.
Young, the 27-year-old 4 time All-Star who led the Hawks to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021, had solidified himself as an icon in Atlanta. However, averaging over 19 points and 8 assists this season simply wasn’t enough to mask the Hawks’ defensive woes, and lackluster run for the playoffs.
“That’s T.Y. That’s Trae Young…Obviously, playing with Trae, as a big, is like a dream come true. I love him as a guy, I love him as a teammate… An Atlanta legend,” Hawks power forward Mouhamed Gueye told NBA.com after he heard of the news.
Hawks management opted for a clean break, dumping Young’s $46.4 million salary this season (with a $49 million player option for 2026-27) for McCollum’s expiring deal and Kispert’s cost-controlled contract, and with no draft picks trading hands.
While the trade itself is a straightforward salary shed for Atlanta, it’s the ripple effects that have the NBA buzzing – particularly here in Dallas.
ESPN Insider Shams Charania, known for breaking news of the 2025 Luke Doncic trade, has said the Hawks could now be positioning themselves to pursue a high-salary star, with Anthony Davis as a potential main target.
“Moving Young also provides Atlanta with added financial flexibility to pursue a large salary over the next several months – with Dallas Mavericks star Anthony Davis as a prime in-season trade target,” Charania posted to X on Wednesday night.
Davis, acquired by Dallas in last season’s highly controversial Luka Doncic trade, hasn’t helped the Mavs move out of mediocrity. With a 14-23 record and rookie sensation Cooper Flagg showing steady promise, the Mavericks could be open to deals that prioritize youth and draft capital over aging veterans like the 32-year-old Davis, who carries a $54 million cap hit this year and over $121 million through 2027-28.
By offloading Young’s contract, the Hawks now gain the financial wiggle room to absorb a bigger contract, like Davis’s massive deal, without gutting their young core players. And for the Mavericks, trading Davis could be a crucial step in a new rebuild plan.
If the Mavericks pull the trigger on a Davis deal, it could mark the end of a brief, underwhelming experiment. Davis has battled a spattering of injuries and hasn’t meshed perfectly with All-Star Kyrie Irving, leaving the Mavs languishing in an already stacked Western Conference.
The Mavericks are sitting in 11th place in the West after a narrow win against the Sacramento Kings on January 6, with that looming trade deadline less than a month away.