Dallas didn’t expect to be here in mid-November, but the season has fallen apart so quickly that the front office has no choice but to switch to long-term planning. According to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, the Mavericks are preparing to explore an Anthony Davis trade once he gets back to full health. The idea isn’t subtle. They want to build around Cooper Flagg, and Davis is becoming the piece they have to cash in sooner rather than later.
It’s a messy situation because Davis still isn’t playing. He’s been out with a calf strain and has logged only five games all year. Even before the injury, the concerns were already piling up. Dallas was unhappy with his conditioning. Reports said he arrived at camp about fifteen pounds heavier than last season. Rival teams noticed it too. Some of them have made it clear they want him slimmer before even opening real talks.
Even with all that, interest hasn’t cooled. A healthy, locked-in Davis is still good enough to swing a season. That’s why the usual suitors are waiting. Miami has the contracts and the playoff pieces to make a competitive offer. New York is hovering, as always, and the Knicks love a headline move. Chicago makes sense because of Davis’ hometown ties, and the Bulls keep flirting with a major retool.
And then there’s Detroit, suddenly rising behind Cade Cunningham and sitting on an 11-game winning streak. If they decide it’s time to level up, Davis is the kind of swing that speeds up a rebuild.
The Warriors are the most complicated team in the mix. They’ve shown interest, but to get the Mavericks’ attention, they may have to include both Jonathan Kuminga and Draymond Green. That’s the kind of deal that guts a roster’s identity, even if it raises the ceiling in the short term. But when Davis is available, uncomfortable conversations become unavoidable.
Dallas is trying to sound patient. They’ve reportedly said that Davis will be around ‘for a while,’ but nothing about this season suggests stability. They’re 4–11. Their offense is stuck near the bottom of the league. The roster still doesn’t fit together, and firing Nico Harrison made it clear a reset is already underway. Every move, every call, every leak points toward the same direction: build around Cooper Flagg and recover whatever value they can before things slide even further.
Klay Thompson is caught in the middle of it, too. He chose Dallas, expecting a playoff run. Now he’s watching the franchise pivot toward youth, and reports have said he’s preparing himself for the possibility of being moved. His shooting, IQ, and playoff history make him one of the easiest vets in the league to trade. Contenders will line up for him if Dallas opens the door.
The Mavericks aren’t just struggling. They’re approaching a crossroads. Davis still has star power, but the questions around his health and weight won’t disappear. Thompson’s future is uncertain. And Flagg is the new face of everything they want to build.
It took only one month for Dallas to flip from contender hopes to accepting a rebuild. Now the rest of the league is waiting to see how fast they move.
