The Golden State Warriors have been mediocre so far on the 2025-26 NBA season, currently sitting at 17-16 following a recent road win over the Brooklyn Nets. While the Warriors still have Stephen Curry playing at an All-NBA level, the team's lack of depth and competent frontcourt players have been a glaring issue this year.
With this being the case, it should come as no surprise that one trade candidate that has come up repeatedly is Dallas Mavericks big man Anthony Davis, who has been in and out of the lineup this year due to injury.
However, recently, NBA insider Marc Stein took to his Substack to inform fans why they shouldn't hold their breath on that front.
“Golden State, for starters, has no realistic pathway to acquire Davis unless it is also willing to part with Jimmy Butler or franchise fixture Draymond Green,” reported Stein. “I'm likewise told that Davis' contract — with potentially two years still left on it if the 32-year-old exercises his $62.7 million player option in 2027-28 — and the injury woes he has endured since becoming a Maverick have thrust a measure of pause into Golden State's deliberations.”
Indeed, injuries have been a major problem for Davis throughout his career, and in particular since he joined the Mavericks as part of the shocking Luka Doncic trade last year.
Meanwhile, Golden State's fierce loyalty to franchise stalwarts like Draymond Green, as Stein mentioned, also might make them hesitant to make an all-in trade for a player like Davis, even if it might help them out in the short term.
Overall, it seems more likely that the Warriors pursue smaller names on the frontcourt trade market, as opposed to pushing their chips to the center of the table for Davis.
In any case, the Warriors will next take the floor on New Year's Eve for a game against the Charlotte Hornets.
