With just about five weeks until the NBA trade deadline on Feb. 5, trade rumors around the league are heating up. The hottest rumor surrounds Anthony Davis, Trae Young, and the Atlanta Hawks, as the Dallas Mavericks star has emerged as a prime trade candidate for the Hawks.
Despite his injury concerns since arriving in Dallas last season as the focal point of the Luka Doncic trade, Davis' skill on the court speaks for itself. Hawks general manager Onsi Saleh has proven he is willing to go out and make big moves in free agency and on the trade market, and he did so in his first offseason as the brain of the team's front office by adding Kristaps Porzingis and Nickeil Alexander-Walker.
However, the Hawks have begun the 2025-26 season with a 15-19 record thanks to a seven-game losing streak, leading to a sense of urgency for Saleh and his front office ahead of the trade deadline.
Jalen Johnson, Dyson Daniels, and Onyeka Okongwu have emerged as the focal points of Atlanta's young core, and with their questions about Young's long-term future after he and the team failed to come close to a contract extension, now appears to be the time for the franchise to move in a different direction.
Is Davis the answer that the Hawks need to take that next step in the Eastern Conference playoff picture?
The Hawks have held internal conversations about what their path to trading for Davis would look like. Before the holidays, there was no movement on a potential deal, as Saleh and his staff were continuing to plot a path that made the most sense.
Since then, the Hawks have held direct communication with the Mavericks about the possibility of trading for Davis, league sources confirmed to ClutchPoints. Although many around the league downplayed the Hawks making an all-in move for Davis right now, Atlanta appears to be locked in on the Mavs' star big man being the trade piece they need.
Not only does the team appear to be very open to moving Porzingis, given his ongoing health problems, but the Hawks have also signaled to the Mavericks that they would trade 2024 first overall pick Zaccharie Risacher in a deal for Davis, sources said.
Marc Stein also recently hinted at the Hawks being willing to trade Risacher for the “right deal.” He also expanded his reporting on Atlanta to Young, whom Stein claims the Hawks are looking to trade before this year's deadline.
The Mavericks are very open to the idea of trading Davis. The Hawks appear ready to move on from Young and have the assets, like Risacher, to put together an intriguing offer for Davis.
So, will a trade happen?
Not only could a Davis-Hawks trade happen, but we could wind up seeing this expand to a multi-team blockbuster. While this is strictly a hypothetical trade scenario with no intel suggesting these five teams are coming together to make such a deal, here is a five-team trade involving the Hawks, Mavericks, Kings, Warriors, and Nets that starts with Davis heading to Atlanta and also includes the likes of Trae Young, Zach LaVine, Domantas Sabonis, Klay Thompson, Jonathan Kuminga, and others.
The 5-team trading involving Anthony Davis, Trae Young, others
Atlanta Hawks receive: F/C Anthony Davis, G/F Zach LaVine, G D'Angelo Russell
Dallas Mavericks receive: F/C Domantas Sabonis, F Zaccharie Risacher, G Luke Kennard, CLE 2026 1st-round pick (via ATL swap), ATL/UTA/CLE 2028 1st-round swap (More favorable of ATL and less favorable of CLE/UTA), BOS 2026 2nd-round pick (via ATL)
Sacramento Kings receive: G Trae Young, F Jonathan Kuminga, F/C Kristaps Porzingis
Golden State Warriors receive: C Nic Claxton, G/F Klay Thompson, G Keon Ellis, SAC 2026 2nd round-pick (via SAC)
Brooklyn Nets receive: G/F Moses Moody, G Buddy Hield, C Trayce Jackson-Davis, GSW 2027 1st-round pick (top-8 protected, via GSW; if not conveyed, becomes 2028 1st-round pick unprotected)
Now that would be some trade, right? Before diving into each team's section of this hypothetical scenario, let's first go over some information about Davis, the Mavericks, and the Hawks.
Even if Atlanta pursues what many would perceive to be an all-in move at the trade deadline by getting Davis, this organization can still operate with flexibility and maintain a strong position to continue adding talent. The Hawks are currently below the tax, and their expiring contracts of Porzingis and Luke Kennard allow them to make a trade for a player like Davis.
As for what this potential deal will look like, Risacher would be one of the focal points of such a deal with Dallas. The other part is a draft pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Although the Mavs would obviously want the Hawks' pick from the New Orleans Pelicans, which could end up being the first pick in the draft, Atlanta will not trade this draft asset no matter what, sources said.
That points in the direction of the Hawks' swap with the Cleveland Cavaliers, a draft pick that is currently in line to be right after the lottery. Would this be the pick that can finalize a Davis trade? League sources indicate that the Hawks would be open to trading this pick for a significant roster upgrade, which is why this draft asset could be the key to sending Davis to Atlanta.
Should the Hawks take this opportunity to completely retool the stars around their core depth, they could suddenly turn to the idea of trading Young. He would not be an easy player to trade, however, especially since he owns a $48.9 million player option for the 2026-27 season, and there isn't a great demand for him around the NBA.
While the Sacramento Kings discussed potentially pursuing Young in the offseason, the organization didn't hold a lot of interest in such a move for the Hawks guard because of his style of play and cost at the time, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic. Perhaps that viewpoint has changed now that new GM Scott Perry is situated in Sacramento and Young doesn't have any long-term money tied down.
The Kings clearly need a point guard, and taking a chance for a year on Young, who is still only 27 years old and known to be an excellent passer, allows the franchise to focus on Keegan Murray and other young assets on offense. More on the Kings' angle of young players shortly.
Trading for Young gives the Kings a path to moving on from Zach LaVine, who could be the ideal athletic scorer on the perimeter to complement Jalen Johnson in Atlanta. Like Young, LaVine only has one more year left on his contract via a $48.9 million player option, which is the same amount of money the Hawks would be paying Young for the 2026-27 season anyway.
Whether the Mavericks would prioritize expiring contracts or seek to replace Davis with a different star-level player is the big question that would make or break this potential scenario.
Should Dallas hold no interest in bringing back Porzingis and his expiring salary, there is a path to sending his salary to the Kings for Domantas Sabonis, a proven facilitator who would take a lot of pressure off Kyrie Irving (when he's back) and Cooper Flagg to make plays for everyone.
From the Kings' perspective, this now opens the door to explore a trade for a player they have targeted since last season: Jonathan Kuminga.
It is no secret to anyone in the NBA that Kuminga will be traded before the Feb. 5 trade deadline, and the Kings have never wavered from their interest in him since the Golden State Warriors turned down their trade requests in the offseason.
The Mavs would be parting ways with Klay Thompson's salary if they were to make a move for Sabonis, and the Kings have already made Keon Ellis available in trade talks, specifically to the Warriors. Golden State wouldn't trade Kuminga only for Thompson and Ellis, but they would almost certainly be open to the idea of sending the young forward to Sacramento if they could also get Nic Claxton from the Brooklyn Nets.
One road tends to lead to another in this hypothetical scenario, as now the Nets can get involved and act as a salary dump for a valuable future first-round pick from the Warriors. Brooklyn would take on Buddy Hield's salary, and they would also get a look at two young players who could fit their core moving forward in Moses Moody and Trayce Jackson-Davis.
While this deal would force the Nets to have to cut two players, there are plenty of options for Brooklyn to flip talent from this trade or other players on their roster, specifically Haywood Highsmith on an expiring contract. Maybe even the Denver Nuggets could get involved and acquire Highsmith and Jackson-Davis from the Nets for Zeke Nnaji and some sort of draft swap.
The bottom line is that a potential Davis trade is directly tied to what the Hawks ultimately want to do with Young, which opens the floodgates for Atlanta to really make major roster changes while also keeping their future intact.
Anthony Davis' future tied to Trae Young?
Although the Hawks could theoretically trade for Davis and maintain Young as their franchise point guard, doing so creates a scenario where this organization will enter the 2026-27 NBA season with little to no financial flexibility, which isn't a situation they have found themselves in over the last two decades.
As of right now, including non-guaranteed contracts and team/player options, the Hawks have about $161 million on the books for next season. Young will be in the final year of his contract, assuming he picks up his $48.9 million player option, and Dyson Daniels' extension kicks in, taking his 2025-26 salary of $7.7 million to $25 million for the 2026-27 season.
If you add Davis' contract on top of what this team already has, while taking away Risacher's cap figure, the Hawks move over $200 million in payroll. This season, the first apron was $195.9 million, and the second apron was $207.8 million. While these numbers will increase slightly for the 2026-27 season, acquiring Davis and keeping Young almost guarantees that the Hawks would be over the tax and facing apron penalties.
That is why a move to add Davis before the trade deadline would very likely signal the end of Young's tenure in Atlanta.
Then again, the Hawks have yet to discuss Young's future with his camp this season, sources said. The four-time All-Star guard recently returned from the knee sprain that kept him sidelined for roughly 10 weeks, and his focus has been on making the team better, not the potential of being traded.
But the writing has been on the wall for Young's departure in Atlanta, especially with the two sides barely talking about an extension this past offseason and being well apart on his overall value. It makes sense to part ways now before Young becomes a free agent.
Whether or not there is a true market for Young outside of a deal for Davis, since the Mavs hold zero interest in the Hawks' guard, is a whole separate question that will need to be answered before the trade deadline.
Not many teams are actively searching the market for a star guard like Young, especially given his cap figure. Those teams that do need a guard, like the Minnesota Timberwolves, don't have a path to pursuing Young without sacrificing major assets and drastically changing their roster.
That is why reaching out to the Kings and finding a way to get them involved in a Davis-Young trade makes the most sense. Sacramento has been seeking ways to move Zach LaVine, and that is the exact type of athletic scorer the Hawks need to supplement their young core.
However, the Hawks would run into the same problem as before of Young and Davis potentially eating up a major part of their payroll, as LaVine would fill Young's spot on the books. Do the Hawks really want to become one of the league's highest-paying teams? Nowadays, that is the cost of chasing glory, as Atlanta would be in a highly advantageous position with a new starting group of Daniels, LaVine, Johnson, Davis, and Okongwu.
What the Hawks need to decide is just how far they are willing to go to change their fortune. Right now, they are destined to be a play-in tournament team once again after making significant upgrades in the offseason. Does it make sense to add Davis, move on from Young, and make further moves to secure their place as a threat in the East, or should they continue building for the future with cap flexibility?
That is the question Atlanta must answer regarding the potential of them landing Davis.
Next steps for Mavericks
The goal of trading Anthony Davis is simple in Dallas: Recover as many lost assets as possible and put yourself in a position to move forward with Kyrie Irving and Cooper Flagg as the focal points of the roster.
At the same time, there has been pushback to the idea of trading Davis so soon, especially since this organization hasn't seen him play alongside both Irving and Flagg. The best decision Patrick Dumont can make is to allow his front office to make this call and get rid of Davis while he still has positive value.
If the Hawks are seriously interested in adding Davis right now, then trade him and plot a path forward with the new talent you are adding.
Not only could the Mavericks add Kristaps Porzingis and Luke Kennard, two expiring contracts that open up over $40 million for the team to utilize next offseason, but acquiring these two players also opens the door for the possibility of flipping them for something else.
Porzingis' expiring $30.7 million is more valuable than many would imagine, as that is a major salary spot any team could open up heading into the summer and free agency. Dallas could use this to their advantage to remain competitive after trading Davis, and Porzingis' contract could be flipped to the Kings for another star like Domantas Sabonis.
Why would the Mavs want Sabonis, especially coming off his partially torn meniscus?
Well, Sabonis is an excellent facilitating big man who can take pressure off both Irving and Flagg, and he has led the league in rebounding for three straight seasons. If the cost of adding a player of his caliber is Young from the Hawks, other assets from other teams, Porzingis' expiring deal, and a veteran like Klay Thompson, who the Mavs are open to trading, why wouldn't you take this opportunity?
Even though Sabonis is under contract through the 2027-28 season, his cap hit is smaller than Davis' figure, and Dallas could always move off him in the future as he nears the end of his contract.
Not to mention, Dereck Lively II is out for the season with his foot injury, and Daniel Gafford has been tied to numerous trade rumors. The addition of Sabonis fills the hole this team has at the center position, and it allows the Mavs to truly explore maximum value on the market for Gafford, possibly adding even more future draft picks and maybe a young talent to pair with Flagg for the future.
Why keep Porzingis and Kennard for cap space in an unpredictable free agent market when you can instead go out and immediately add a player like Sabonis? It is clear that once the Mavs trade Davis, they should turn their attention to building around Flagg right now and remaining in the Western Conference playoff picture, starting with the 2026-27 season.
After all, adding a lottery pick via the 2026 NBA Draft, plus a healthy Sabonis, Lively, and Irving for next season, gives the Mavericks major upgrades across the board.
Kings, Warriors, Nets obvious trade extensions
The heart of this potential blockbuster trade involving five teams is not Trae Young, Anthony Davis, the Hawks, nor the Mavs. Instead, it's the three teams that act as extensions for financial reasons — the Kings, Warriors, and Nets.
Starting with Sacramento, their involvement in a potential Atlanta-Dallas trade involving Davis is solely dependent on their interest in Young. Although the Kings didn't view the All-Star as a viable option for them this past summer, maybe that ideology has changed in the last six months.
After all, the Kings still need to figure out their point guard situation moving forward, and Young having just a $48.9 million player option for the 2026-27 season gives Sacramento a direct path to freeing up max cap space to rebuild. The same can be said about adding Porzingis and his expiring salary.
Taking on Young as their interim point guard also creates a direct path to the Kings being able to land Kuminga, the athletic forward they have wanted to pair with Keegan Murray since the offseason. Although the Kings would still have a lot of holes to fill in order to become relevant again, they would have Murray, Kuminga, and Nique Clifford as a young core next to Young, who is more than capable of getting them the ball on offense.
By moving off of LaVine, Sabonis, and Keon Ellis, the Kings would create financial flexibility for themselves while also getting a clear look at what Young and Kuminga can bring to them for the future. If things don't work out, they let both players walk in free agency, freeing up nearly $70 million in cap space in 2027.
In the Warriors' case, they will be moving Kuminga before Feb. 5. The goal in doing so is to add talent on the wing and find a solution to their glaring weakness in the frontcourt. Though the Warriors turned down an offer from the Kings during the offseason involving Ellis in a package for Kuminga, it makes sense to add the defensive-minded player now, especially if they can get Nic Claxton.
With the improvements that the Nets have made as the season has progressed and their defense taking a massive step in the right direction, it is truly unknown if Brooklyn has any interest in trading Claxton. Sean Marks and his staff are always listening to offers coming their way and are open to acquiring future draft assets, but would Moses Moody, Trayce Jackson-Davis, Buddy Hield, and a future first from the Warriors be enough?
Claxton is obviously the type of center the Warriors need since he can provide immediate production defensively and in terms of rebounding. Golden State has a genuine interest in Claxton, and there have been conversations between the two teams since the start of the season, sources said. He is one of the top names on Golden State's list of center targets ahead of the trade deadline.
Not only could the Warriors add Claxton and Ellis in this trade, but they could also bring back Klay Thompson. Steve Kerr, Stephen Curry, and Draymond Green have all discussed the potential of Klay returning to Golden State recently, and getting the band back together for one last chance at a title can play out perfectly now that Jimmy Butler is around.
Also, the best part about adding Ellis is that the Dubs would acquire his Bird Rights, allowing them to keep him around on a new contract, which could be something like a deal that pays him around $14 million in annual average value. That gives the Warriors some flexibility to either keep Ellis in the role Moody would've held moving forward or potentially trade him down the road.
The Warriors need key upgrades, the Nets have their focus on the future, and the Kings are gearing up to rebuild. This five-team blockbuster gives all three organizations what they need right now, opening the door for a trade involving Anthony Davis to once again headline the NBA trade deadline.
