It initially looked very likely that Anthony Davis would be traded for the second season in a row, but he cannot stay healthy. The Dallas Mavericks have been a mess. The moves they’ve made have largely not worked. Trading veterans and building around Cooper Flagg made a ton of sense, as they’ve just floundered in the deep Western Conference.
Davis, a potential future Hall of Famer, would’ve brought back the biggest return. Trading him would’ve set up the Mavs with a haul of picks to work with. His latest injury, which is not his first this season, could throw a wrench in those plans.
Anthony Davis’ injury could hamper trade plans
There’s very little reason to hold onto Anthony Davis for the Dallas Mavericks. They’re floundering, and even a healthy Davis won’t make them a legitimate threat to the Oklahoma City Thunder. They should focus on the future, and an aging former All-NBA player is the perfect trade candidate.
Given his talent, finding suitors likely wouldn’t be all that hard. He’s one of the best two-way bigs in the NBA. He’d make a great addition to most teams, especially contenders in the wide-open Eastern Conference. But he’s hurt again.
Davis has played well. He’s averaging 20.4 points and 11.1 rebounds while shooting over 50% from the floor. He has only appeared in 20 of 39 possible games. That number isn’t going to change any time soon. He could miss two months of action.
That alone complicates a trade, because injured players are harder to move, and that timeline puts Davis well past the trade deadline. When he returns this season, rosters are likely to be locked. Any team trading him would be taking a big risk.
Because of that, the Mavericks would probably get a lesser return. He’s under contract until 2029, which means the Mavericks have time to trade him, but the upcoming draft class is loaded. If they can get current picks, that would be ideal. If they can’t trade him this year, that’s not ideal.
All told, Davis has played 39 total games since last trade deadline. He was the central return in the controversial Luka Doncic trade. That has aged as poorly as possible for the Mavericks. Had they not lucked into the first pick (Cooper Flagg), there would be no hope whatsoever.
Silver lining for Dallas Mavericks
Even if the Mavericks cannot move Anthony Davis now, it’s not the end of the world. They’ll have ample opportunities to do that in the future since he’s under contract for so long. The trouble is, he will get older (maybe more injury prone) and less valuable. Still, it’s not do-or-die time.
The biggest reason to trade Davis was to be bad now so that the Mavs could get a top prospect from this loaded class. They need a Cooper Flagg running mate. Now, with Davis out for the foreseeable future, they should be able to stack losses and help their lottery odds.
CBS Sports’ Sam Quinn detailed it best: “The Mavericks don’t control their own first-round picks between 2027 and 2030. That makes the 2026 NBA Draft absolutely critical. It’s their one chance to draft a young, cheap co-star for Cooper Flagg that’s on his timeline. Having Davis on their team only hurt their draft position. He may not be playing at a superstar level, but he’s still the best player on this mess of a roster.”
The only question is whether or not he comes back and how much he plays. If he’s healthy down the stretch, the Mavericks might only hurt their lottery standing. Of course, with how things play out, finishing strong might not ruin their shot at someone like Caleb Wilson, Cam Boozer, or Darryn Peterson. Still, it’s something they’ll have to consider.
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