Mavericks Face Crucial Decision on Anthony Davis Ahead of Trade Deadline
On Feb. 2, 2025, the Dallas Mavericks acquired Anthony Davis and parted ways with their former franchise face, Luka Doncic . It has been a year since the trade, and the decision to trade for Davis by sending out a generational talent is under scrutiny even now.
There are murmurs the Mavericks may trade Davis before the Thursday trade deadline. A few days ago, The Athletic’s Jake Fischer reported the Toronto Raptors and Atlanta Hawks are interested in the Mavericks’ power forward.
The Mavericks have a huge decision to make as the trade deadline nears.
The Tricky Anthony Davis Situation for Dallas
In an article, ESPN marked the anniversary of Luka Doncic's trade to the Lakers as ESPN’s sportswriter Tim MacMahon wrote about AD’s future with the Mavericks.
According to MacMahon, the Mavericks would at least expect a first-round pick and some players with high potential in exchange for Davis. However, his persistent injuries and 3-year, $175 million extension would discourage interested teams from inheriting the contract.
On the other hand, per MacMahon, some in the Mavericks organization would be fine with acquiring players on expiring contracts for Davis.
Meanwhile, it seems that the Mavericks’ governor, Patrick Dumont, would not be fully on board with the idea. Dumont is seemingly willing to keep the power forward for now.
“There are some within the organization who would be in favor of trading Davis even if the return is only expiring contracts, simply because they value the flexibility it would give the franchise as it builds around Flagg . That idea would be hard to sell to Dumont, who feels no pressure to trade Davis now, sources told ESPN,” wrote Macmahon.
Last week, The Athletic’s NBA reporter Christian Clark also wrote that the Mavericks are “unlikely” to trade Davis . Davis’ trade value is down significantly.
The 32-year-old has missed 53 out of 82 games as a member of the Mavericks. He missed 24 games last season due to an adductor strain. Earlier this season, Davis missed 14 games due to a left calf strain and other lower leg-related injuries.
Davis has averaged 20.4 points , 11.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.7 blocks per game in 20 matchups this season. The Mavs are 10-10 when he plays and 9-20 without him.
Dallas hosts the Boston Celtics at 8 p.m. ET Tuesday.
Related: Lakers Linked to Mavericks Player as NBA Trade Deadline Nears
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Feb 2, 2026, where it first appeared in the NBA section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
