The Dallas Mavericks' Anthony Davis trade sweepstakes is dying down at the worst possible time, and the team might be forced to keep him beyond the trade deadline and explore trades for him in the offseason. Fans feared this outcome as soon as Davis suffered ligament damage in his left hand earlier this month, and NBA insider Jake Fischer's most recent intel drop virtually took two major suitors off the board (subscription required).
The teams that were interested in Davis were already limited, and it doesn't sound like Dallas is having any serious trade conversations for Davis with rival teams right now.
According to Fischer, "interest in Davis has seemed to cool since last week's announcement that the 32-year-old will be sidelined for at least six weeks due to ligament damage in his left hand." Teams around the league always knew that his health was going to be a major question mark, but him suffering another serious injury this season definitely threw a wrench into the Mavericks' plans to move on from him.
Anthony Davis trade suitors are dropping like flies
The Atlanta Hawks and Toronto Raptors were two teams that were most intrigued about bringing in the 6-foot-10 big man, but their interest has died. The Mavericks have been aggressive in their pursuit of an Anthony Davis trade, and the Raptors and Hawks being taken off the board definitely took wind out of their sails.
"In recent days, both the Atlanta Hawks and Toronto Raptors — teams previously described as the most ardent Davis suitors — have been signaling that they are no longer involved in significant trade talks with the Mavericks," Fischer said.
The Hawks seemed like a real suitor for Davis, especially considering the amount of smoke that surrounded the two teams for weeks, but Davis' constant injuries obviously drove Atlanta away. The Mavs and Hawks could still shock everyone and figure out a deal before the February 5 trade deadline, but as of now, it's not looking as promising as it once did.
Rumors surrounding Davis, the Mavericks, and potential suitors will obviously heat up once the deadline gets closer, as a suitor could get desperate and pull the trigger on a deal, but things have gone silent recently. Dallas is not having active conversations with Atlanta and Toronto about finding a new team for Davis at this juncture, and they could have to keep him on the books until the offseason.
This is the exact news that Mavericks fans would hate to hear, as most fans are ready to end the Anthony Davis experiment now, regardless of what the trade return is. It's not like his trade value is going to be much more over the offseason, and Dallas obviously needs to head in a different direction as they begin a new era with Cooper Flagg as their franchise cornerstone.
Davis was put in an impossible situation to begin with when he was traded for Luka Doncic, and the fact that the Mavs are trying to get rid of him less than a year after acquiring him shows how badly the trade has gone for Dallas.
The Mavericks are stuck in a brutal spot, as Davis will likely remain on the team heading into the offseason. This puts them in a financial hole, as they need to get under the second apron badly, and he doesn't fit their current timeline by any means.
His massive contract also makes him extremely hard to trade due to the other team having to find a way to make the salary work, and the Mavs' Davis dilemma will rage on.