Anthony Davis could end up getting traded two times within the span of just a year.
Tim MacMahon of ESPN reported Monday on “The Hoop Collective” podcast that the Dallas Mavericks may potentially trade away Davis in order to fully build around rookie phenom Cooper Flagg. MacMahon notes that a firing of Mavericks GM Nico Harrison, who has a strong history with Davis, could pave the way for The Brow to be dealt.
“Nico would never, ever [trade Davis],” said MacMahon. “[But] you lucked into getting Cooper Flagg. At some point, I would say pronto, the focus of the franchise has gotta be building around Cooper Flagg.”
MacMahon also noted that the Mavericks do not have control of their first-round draft picks in 2027, 2028, 2029, or 2030. Dallas thus has a strong incentive to replenish their future capital, possibly by swinging blockbuster trades.
We heard earlier this week that Harrison, who infamously orchestrated the franchise-torpedoing Luka Doncic trade last February, is now likely to be fired by the Mavericks amid the team’s 3-7 start. Davis, who was the centerpiece of Dallas’ return for Doncic, is close with Harrison (a former Nike executive) as a longtime Nike athlete. But if Harrison is no longer in the picture, that could mean that Davis’ future with the Mavericks is in peril as well.
If Dallas is not competing for a championship right now, there indeed isn’t much reason for them to keep Davis, an injury-prone 32-year-old owed $175.4 million through 2028, around. Davis may not be the only big name in danger either as we recently heard that another multi-time All-Star is a potential trade candidate for Dallas as well.
