The Golden State Warriors are a team that has been linked to Dallas Mavericks star Anthony Davis, but it appears they will not be pursuing him. NBA insiders Tim Bontemps and Anthony Slater shut down a potential Davis trade on Warriors Stock Report.
“I have thought for a while that Anthony Davis made a lot of sense for the Warriors,” Bontemps said. “And that was the move that I could see them making that would have potentially solved a lot of issues all at once. However, that is now off the board, I would say. It might be on the board for other teams.”
Slater, who covers the Warriors for ESPN, agreed with Bontemps and explained why a Davis trade simply doesn’t work now.
“I sense zero appetite for that right now from the Warriors,” Slater said. “… Not only trading for a guy, but you would very likely trade Draymond Green in that scenario. And it’s like imagine trading Draymond Green for a guy who, like, ‘He might be back around playoff time.'”
Davis potentially looked set to be out for months after suffering ligament damage in his left hand. The 32-year-old then decided against undergoing surgery that might have ended his season, and NBA insider Shams Charania reports he will be reevaluated in six weeks.
So, you are looking at a return in March at the earliest for Davis. Would it make sense for a Warriors team that has gone 10-4 in its last 14 games to trade away a key piece like Draymond Green for the 10-time All-Star? Not really.
Despite going on this run, the Warriors are currently eighth in the West with a 23-19 record. They would slide down the standings and almost ensure that they fail to get an automatic playoff berth if Green and some other role players are gone and Davis is out of action for around two months.
Even if Davis were currently healthy, pursuing him wouldn’t have been a good idea for the Warriors. Before this hand injury, he had already missed 18 out of the Mavericks’ first 38 games this season. You simply cannot rely on him to stay upright.
Sure, Davis is still playing at a high level, averaging 20.4 points, 11.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.7 blocks per game in 2025-26. The best ability, though, is availability. You could be putting up 30 points a night on average, but if you’re out more often than not, your team will suffer.
This latest injury appears to have all but guaranteed that Davis will remain a Maverick this season. NBA insider Michael Scotto reports there looks to be only one scenario in which he gets shipped out of town.
“Following Davis’ latest hand injury, which the Mavericks announced won’t require surgery and is expected to heal in approximately six weeks, several NBA executives who spoke with HoopsHype predict he’ll remain in Dallas past the trade deadline due to his decreased trade value, unless the Mavericks essentially want to salary dump him.”
Doing this a year after trading away Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for a package centered around Davis would be a terrible look. It is likely now that if he is moved, it will be in the offseason.
Getting back to the Warriors, while a Davis trade between them and the Mavericks appears off the table, another deal might be struck before the Feb. 5 trade deadline. Forward Jonathan Kuminga has demanded a trade, and a host of teams have been linked to him. The Mavericks are one of them, and we listed two scenarios in which they can acquire him.
