The Dallas Mavericks traded their franchise superstar, Luka Doncic, back in February for Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round pick. While many fans hated giving up Luka, almost everyone hated the package they got in return, which shockingly only included one first-round pick and a 32-year-old big man with a history of injuries. The good news is, they still have an out. By trading Davis, the Mavericks can completely recoup their assets and get back an even sweeter return than they get for Luka.
“Last year, we saw Mikal Bridges go for five first-round picks, and the Nets got Bojan Bogdanovic. Bojan Bogdanovic was not a player for the Nets this season; he was a non-factor. In this case, you give up Desmond Bane and you get four first-round picks and a swap, and at that point, you get two players you feel can help you out a little bit. If you put Anthony Davis on the open market right now, he’s fetching your four or five first-round picks right now.”
The NBA trade market is in a weird place right now. Just a few days ago, the Magic traded four unprotected picks to the Grizzlies for Desmond Bane, rivaling the iconic Rudy Gobert trade, which saw the defensive star get traded for five first-round picks.
For a team like the Mavericks, which was on the edge of a rebuild, trading Luka for a similar haul of picks made a lot of sense, but they took things in a different direction by maintaining their win-now timeline. With Davis and Kyrie Irving together, the Mavericks had ambitions of competing for a title in the West.
Sadly, the results weren’t nearly as impressive, and they practically gave up when Irving was ruled out for the season with a torn ACL. This summer, with a lot of lingering questions about their core and the potential arrival of Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 overall pick, the situation has changed in Dallas, and Davis may not fit their vision like he once did.
Currently, only a few teams in the league have enough picks to make such a strong offer, but there are some who could make a nice fit, including the Nets, Rockets, Bulls, and Pistons. At 32 years old, there is no doubt that Anthony Davis wants to play for a competitive organization, and he may be better off in a different situation where they won’t have to rely on an unproven rookie to achieve success.
With averages of 24.7 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game last season, Davis is still an elite-level athlete, and he deserves a place where he can consistently play for a championship. If it’s not with the Mavericks, then maybe it’s somewhere else, but there are still plenty of teams willing to pay a premium price to add one of the league’s best defensive big men to their roster.
For now, Nico Harrison and the Mavericks will almost surely stick to their guns, but if they act before it’s too late, they can set up their team to have an abundance of draft picks to help expedite their rebuild and find a worthy partner for Cooper Flagg.
