Anthony Davis was supposed to be the piece that kept the Dallas Mavericks relevant after the Luka Doncic trade. Instead, the season has turned into a slow bleed. The Mavericks sit at 9-16, stuck at 11th in the Western Conference, with a -4.3 net rating and zero real path to contention with this current core.
Individually, Davis is still solid, but not a mega star anymore. He is putting up 19.6 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 3.2 assists on 52.3% from the field this season, anchoring the defense (1.2 steals, 1.6 blocks) and bailing the offense out of ugly possessions every night.
The problem is everything around him. Cooper Flagg is the future, the guard rotation is a revolving door, and the roster feels like it was built in three different eras at once.
That is why Shams Charania’s latest Inside Pass hit so hard. According to his reporting, the Mavericks are weighing whether to extend Davis on a massive new deal or fully explore his trade market, with Eastern Conference teams like the Detroit Pistons, Toronto Raptors, and Atlanta Hawks expected to monitor any opening to pounce. If the Mavs decide this version of the team has no path back to true contention, moving Davis for a monster package built around picks and young talent becomes the obvious nuclear option.
All three of these teams can talk themselves into going all in on a player like Davis. The question is which one can actually put the type of offer on the table that forces the Mavericks to blink.
1. Detroit Pistons
Potential Trade Offer: Tobias Harris, Jaden Ivey, Caris LeVert, 2026 first-round pick, 2028 first-round pick
The Detroit Pistons are the feel-good story of the season. They are 19-5, first in the East, and Cade Cunningham looks like an MVP candidate, averaging 27.5 points with elite playmaking and efficiency while running one of the league’s most explosive offenses.
Adding Davis to that mix is the kind of move that turns “cute contender” into “this team might win the whole thing.” You could roll out a frontcourt of Davis and Jalen Duren, surround them with Cunningham and shooting, and suddenly every possession becomes a mismatch.
Davis gives the Pistons a true defensive backbone at the rim and a half-court bailout option when the other team inevitably sells out to get the ball out of Cunningham’s hands.
From the Mavericks’ side, this is a very real package. Tobias Harris is averaging 14.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.4 assists on 45.3% from the field, the classic plug-and-play forward who can score without needing the ball every possession.
Jaden Ivey has taken a step back this season with only 7.6 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.1 assists on 43.1% shooting, but everyone remembers the 17.6 points and 4.0 assists he put up last year when given the keys to the offense.
Caris LeVert is giving the Pistons 9.3 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in about 20 minutes a night, hitting 46.4% from the field and spacing the floor better than his reputation suggests.
Between Harris’ stability, Ivey’s upside as a downhill guard, and LeVert’s secondary playmaking, the Mavs would get three real rotation players who can help Flagg grow without completely bottoming out.
The real juice, though, is in the picks. Two unprotected first-rounders from a team that is suddenly relevant again are sneaky valuable. History says young cores do not stay this clean forever. One injury, one bad offseason, one regression year, and suddenly that 2028 pick looks like gold. For a Mavericks front office trying to restock the cupboard after going all in on the Davis move, the Pistons’ offer is the classic “depth plus future flexibility” deal.
It is not the sexiest package on paper, but it is the kind of offer that makes a GM sleep at night.
2. Toronto Raptors
Potential Trade Offer: Immanuel Quickley, Jakob Poeltl, 2026 first-round pick, 2028 first-round pick, 2029 first-round pick (swap picks), 2031 second-round pick
The Toronto Raptors live for this type of swing. They are 15-11, sitting firmly in the fifth spot of the Eastern playoff picture, and they already have a fascinating mix of Brandon Ingram and Scottie Barnes as jumbo wings who can both initiate offense.
Davis in that ecosystem turns the Raptors into a nightmare. Imagine a closing lineup with RJ Barrett, Ingram, Barnes, and Davis, then one more shooter or defender, depending on the matchup. That is length, switchability, and half-court creation at every position.
Immanuel Quickley is the centerpiece here. He is averaging 16.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 6.2 assists on 47.0% from the field this season, finally running his own team and looking completely comfortable as a full-time starting point guard.
His ability to run pick and roll, pull up from deep, and still defend at a solid level makes him an almost perfect fit next to Flagg as a long-term offensive partner in Dallas.
Jakob Poeltl is the salary and stability piece. He gives you 10.2 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 2.2 assists on a ridiculous 69.2% from the field.
The Mavs could play him as a pure screen-and-dive center while letting Flagg grow into the face of the franchise without having to do all the dirty work inside.
The picks make this offer heavy. A 2026 first, a 2028 first, and a 2029 swap give the Mavericks three real chances at adding top-level talent, and the 2031 second is the kind of small sweetener that often breaks ties in trade talks. The Raptors would be betting big that a core of Quickley, Ingram, Barnes, and Davis keeps them good enough that those picks land in the twenties.
From the Mavericks’ angle, this is probably the most balanced deal on the board. You get a legit young lead guard, a starting center who fits cleanly next to Flagg, and a pile of draft control. It is easy to talk yourself into the Mavericks being right back in the mix within two or three years with this kind of reload.
3. Atlanta Hawks
Potential Trade Offer: Kristaps Porzingis, Zaccharie Risacher, Luke Kennard, 2027 first-round pick (via MIL), 2028 first-round pick (via UTA), 2026 second-round pick, 2029 second-round pick
The Atlanta Hawks are the chaos option. They are 14-11, still hanging around the middle of the East despite Trae Young’s injury issues, but their real power is on the asset sheet.
Kristaps Porzingis is putting up 19.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.1 assists on 49.7% shooting, bombing threes, and still protecting the rim at a solid level.
In a lot of ways, he gives the Mavs a lighter version of what Davis already provides, with more spacing and less two-way dominance. For the Mavericks, that might actually be perfect. You get a frontcourt partner who fits next to Flagg and keeps the floor wide open while you retool.
Zaccharie Risacher is the real prize for a rebuilding team. The French wing is averaging 11.1 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.5 assists on 45.3% from the field, flashing the two-way upside that made him the No. 1 pick once, though chances in Atlanta have been pretty slim for him to break out as a better scorer and playmaker.
The Mavs could throw Flagg and Risacher on the floor together and immediately have one of the most interesting young forward duos in the league, with Risacher finally getting a chance to become a true scoring option for a team.
Luke Kennard is the glue piece. He is giving the Hawks 7.6 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 2.3 assists on 47.9% shooting, with his usual laser three-point range. For the Mavericks, he is the veteran shooter you keep around to add spacing while the kids learn how to win.
The picks are where this turns into something special. The Hawks already own a 2026 unprotected first-round pick from the New Orleans Pelicans, thanks to the Derik Queen draft night deal. The Pelicans currently have a3-22 record, sitting last in the entire league despite Queen’s crazy rookie flashes.
If that pick ends up as a top-3 selection, the Hawks could pair up Trae Young, Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson, and Anthony Davis with an instant blue-chip prospect to launch them into contention.
In this hypothetical, the Hawks are sending different future firsts, but the overall picture is clear. This is a franchise with serious draft capital already lined up. A 2027 first via Bucks and a 2028 first via Jazz, plus multiple seconds, would give the Mavs long-term flexibility and more bites at the apple in drafts where they already expect to be active.
For the Hawks, this is the classic “we have the picks, let’s go get the star” move. Pairing Davis with Young and Jalen Johnson while still holding that juicy 2026 Pelicans pick is exactly how you talk yourself into a two-year title window.
Who Has The Best Package To Land Anthony Davis?
All three offers check different boxes for the Mavericks. The Pistons offer the cleanest depth package. Harris, Ivey, and LeVert help you stay respectable right away, and the picks give you future upside. The floor with that deal is pretty high, even if none of those players ever become an All-Star.
The Raptors offer the most straightforward path back to relevance. Quickley, as a 16.5 points and 6.2 assists guard who can run an offense, and Poeltl as a hyper-efficient finisher who rarely misses inside, give the Mavs a ready-made pick and roll duo around Flagg. Combine that with multiple firsts and a swap, and you could argue this is the most balanced present-and-future package on the board.
But the Hawks are the team that can actually change the Mavericks’ entire timeline. If you walk away from a Davis trade with Porzingis as your bridge big, Risacher as a blue-chip prospect, Kennard as your shooter, and extra firsts, you already expect to be floating around the lottery, but suddenly have one of the most loaded young cores and draft closets in the league.
My pick: the Hawks have the best package. The combination of Risacher’s upside and the long-term draft control is just too much to pass up. The Raptors and Pistons can absolutely make compelling bids, and it would not be shocking if one of them decided to overpay just to get a top-15 guy in his early 30s.
If the Mavericks really decide to pull the plug on the Davis experiment, though, the smart play is to lean into the chaos. Ship him to the Hawks, hand the keys to Flagg and Risacher, and ride into the rebuild with more ammo than almost anyone else. That is not just a reset. That is a chance to build the next powerhouse from scratch.
