Will the Dallas Mavericks consider trading Anthony Davis and entering a rebuild after firing general manager Nico Harrison? AD was acquired by Dallas as part of the shocking Luka Doncic trade last February — which proved to be the beginning of the end for Harrison with the Mavs. According to Tim MacMahon of ESPN, a West executive said they are not sure what the team could even get for Davis in a trade at this point.
“You don't go two timelines anymore,” the West executive said. “You say, ‘We're going to take what we can get [for Davis].' At this point, I'm not sure what they can get.”
Davis is a great player when healthy. Injures have unfortunately impacted Davis on a consistent basis throughout his career, especially in recent seasons. Davis trade rumors are beginning to swirl, though, there are no clear indications that Dallas is willing to move the big man this season.
Despite the Mavs' 3-8 start to the new campaign, the roster features potential when healthy. Davis and Kyrie Irving are both dealing with injuries, but the Mavericks could look like a completely different squad with them both on the floor. The problem is that when it comes to AD, there is no guarantee that he will be able to stay healthy.
Trading Davis would allow the Mavericks to receive a respectable return — even if it is not what it once was given Davis' injury trouble. Moving on from AD would be a defining moment in determining the winner of the Luka Doncic trade — but in all reality the winner of that move was determined the moment it was made. Moving on from Doncic for Davis, Max Christie and only one first round pick was always a losing move.
Should the Mavericks actually trade Anthony Davis?
The Mavs should at least consider the idea. Davis is in his early 30s and happens to be extremely injury prone. No one is denying his elite ability on the floor, but he likely doesn't match Dallas' realistic timeline. The Mavericks do not necessarily have to force a trade before the 2026 NBA trade deadline, but at least approaching the idea should be an option.
With that being said, it remains to be seen how the team will even approach big moves following Harrison's firing. The Mavericks announced on Tuesday that Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi will take over as interim co-general managers. One has to wonder if the interim general managers will be open to making such a massive trade.
Perhaps Dallas will be hesitant to agree to any especially notable trades until the team finds its next official new general manager to replace Harrison. That is only speculation, though, as anything could end up happening when it comes to this Mavericks squad.
At the moment, an AD trade still seems fairly unlikely, but certainly not out of the question. It will be a situation to closely monitor as the Mavericks attempt to make the best possible decisions for the future of the franchise.
