An NBA insider has urged the Dallas Mavericks to trade Anthony Davis this summer, believing that the franchise’s championship window has already closed following Kyrie Irving’s devastating ACL injury.
Speaking on The Hoop Collective podcast, Tim Bontemps delivered a blunt assessment of the Mavericks’ future, arguing that Davis should never suit up for the team again and that Dallas must move on to maximize its long-term prospects.
“I’m gonna be honest. I don’t think Anthony Davis should ever play for the Mavericks again. You shouldn’t play the rest of the season and they should trade him this summer.”
“Nico Harrison talked about they’re having a three or four-year window with this group that included this season. Okay, Kyrie Irving is gonna be a 33-year-old guard who just had a catastrophic knee injury was a player option for next season. You basically have to write him off at being a major contributor for next season.”
“Maybe he can come back and do that. You have to assume if you’re running the franchise, he’s not going to do that.”
“At that point, Anthony Davis will have one year guaranteed left on his deal. He’s going to be approaching his 33rd birthday. This team has really no ability to contend as it stands now without a proper star next to Anthony Davis.”
The Mavericks’ season unraveled in just 30 days. After acquiring Davis in a blockbuster trade that sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas hoped the duo of Davis and Irving would be enough to compete for a title.
That vision quickly collapsed as Irving went down with a catastrophic knee injury, ruling him out for the season and possibly beyond. With Davis also struggling with his injury issues, the Mavericks are now left without a legitimate path to contention, and there are growing whispers that Davis may not even return to the court this season.
Bontemps pointed out the harsh reality that Dallas now faces. His argument is rooted in the fact that the Mavericks’ championship window, which was built around the idea of a three-to-four-year run with Davis and Irving, is already closing.
Irving, who will turn 33 next season, has a player option but is unlikely to be a major contributor after suffering such a devastating injury. This leaves Davis as the lone star on a roster that no longer has the necessary pieces to contend.
With Davis approaching his 33rd birthday and having only one guaranteed year left on his contract, the Mavericks are in a difficult position. If they keep him, they risk entering a season with a fragile, aging superstar and no real supporting cast.
Trading him, on the other hand, would allow them to recoup assets and start fresh. Davis is still one of the league’s best two-way players when healthy, and there would undoubtedly be several teams willing to make a move for him in hopes of a title run.
The blame for Dallas’ downfall is largely being placed on general manager Nico Harrison. His tenure has been marked by risky moves, including the blockbuster trade that sent away Doncic—arguably the most talented young player in the league—for an aging, injury-prone Davis.
Harrison also went all-in on Klay Thompson in the offseason, a move that now looks even worse with the Mavericks no longer being a true contender. Even Thompson himself will feel regret over the situation, as Dallas has fallen from title hopefuls to a team with no clear direction in just one month.
Jeanie Buss had already hinted at dissatisfaction in Los Angeles, and now Davis finds himself in a situation that is arguably even worse. With free agency looming in the near future and his prime years slipping away, he has a critical decision to make—should he force his way out of Dallas and try to land on a team that has a real chance of winning?
Dallas is now at a crossroads. Do they attempt to salvage this failed experiment by surrounding Davis with another star? Or do they cut their losses and trade him while he still holds value? If Bontemps’ advice is any indication, the Mavericks’ best option might be to move on, admit their mistakes, and start rebuilding for the future.
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