Recently, the Dallas Mavericks fired general manager Nico Harrison, signaling to some that the team was throwing in the towel on his “vision” of winning a championship with Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis at the helm. Davis is currently out of the lineup due to injury, and many fans have been floating potential trade scenarios for the future Hall of Famer in order to help the Mavericks embrace a rebuild.
Some are skeptical of just how much Dallas could get back in a trade for the oft-injured Davis, but recently, Bobby Marks of ESPN pointed to another recent blockbuster NBA trade as proof that things could work out well for the Mavericks.
“Despite his injury history, current salary and potential cost to extend, there would be a trade market for Davis. Look at what unfolded last season with Jimmy Butler III and the Miami Heat. The then-35-year-old and his $48.8 million contract were traded to the Golden State Warriors and extended for two more seasons and $111 million,” noted Marks on ESPN.com.
However, some league execs aren't so optimistic.
“While you can point to Davis as a top-20 player in Los Angeles, it is a $175 million gamble and perhaps more, if you trade for him,” one West executive said. “I would want to see a long stretch of games of Davis healthy before there could ever be a discussion.”
A strange time for the Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks lucked into the chance to select Cooper Flagg in this year's NBA Draft, and thus far, the number one overall pick has been playing relatively well to open up his rookie year.
However, the Mavericks currently sit at an ugly 4-10, and even once Davis and Irving are in the lineup, it's highly unlikely that this roster will be anything close to a contender in the Western Conference.
This being the case, it would certainly make sense for the Mavericks to at least ask around and see what they could potentially get back for the aging stars on their roster.
