Anthony Davis, Dallas Mavericks
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Anthony Davis, Dallas Mavericks
Anthony Davis‘ long-term future doesn’t appear to be as a member of the Dallas Mavericks. The veteran big man has suited up for 29 games since being traded in February 2024. An awful return on Dallas’ investment.
With the summer addition of Cooper Flagg, Dallas is expected to begin pivoting toward a younger, more dynamic rotation. As such, Davis is seen as a logical trade chip ahead of the Feb. 5 trade deadline.
Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale provided a potential blueprint for a Davis trade in a Jan. 9 article. The proposed trade looks like this:
Mavericks Get:Jakob Poeltl, Immanuel Quickley, Toronto’s 2027 first-round pick (unprotected), Toronto’s 2028 first-round pick (swap), Toronto’s 2029 first-round pick (top-five protection; turns into 2029 and 2030 seconds if not conveyed).
Toronto Raptors Get: Anthony Davis and Anthony Gil
Washington Wizards Get:Jaden Hardy, Ochai Agbaji, a Los Angeles Lakers 2026 second-round pick via Toronto and Toronto’s 2032 second-round pick
“The best version of Quickley is a euphoric fit beside Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving—an active defender who can drill threes on the catch and off the bounce and add a dab of two-level playmaking,” Favale wrote. “Rolling the dice on his deal, which averages about 18.7 percent of the salary cap, shouldn’t take much convincing…Bagging control of three Raptors first-round picks is big-time under the circumstances.”
Davis’ trade value has plummeted over the past 12 months. However, Favale’s proposal would solve multiple issues for Dallas and put them on track to begin building around Flagg.
Mavericks’ Anthony Davis Suffers Another Injury
On Thursday, Jan. 8, Anthony Davis suffered another injury as the Mavericks lost to the Utah Jazz, 107-105.
“Anthony Davis was sidelined for the final minutes of the Dallas Mavericks’ loss against the Utah Jazz after injuring his left hand,” Grant Afseth of the Dallas Hoops Journal wrote. “He went to the back of the arena as the Mavs closed the game.”
The injury occurred late in the fourth quarter, with roughly two minutes remaining in the game. The injury couldn’t come at a worse time. Davis’ trade value will likely take another blow, especially if his latest ailment keeps him sidelined for the foreseeable future.
NBA Legend Believes Davis Should Move East
During a recent appearance on Fan Duel TV’s “Run It Back,” legendary point guard Isiah Thomas explained why he believes Davis should seek a move to the Eastern Conference.
“He swings the balance very similarly to when Rasheed Wallace was traded from Atlanta several years ago. He came to Detroit, and all of a sudden, Detroit takes off,” Thomas said. “I thought Rasheed, wherever he went in the East at that point in time, that team was going to elevate to the championship level. I think that’s the same with Davis. Any team that he comes to in the East right now, I think, he puts them in a position to win the championship…In the East, he’s a difference maker.”
Davis would undoubtedly have an easy path toward the NBA Finals in the Eastern Conference. Whether a deal materializes ahead of the trade deadline remains to be seen. Sooner or later, Davis will likely be on the move again. When that happens, the Mavericks will begin handing the keys to Flagg.