It’s been a year since the Los Angeles Lakers and the Dallas Mavericks struck the shocking Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis deal.
At this point, both franchises are in different positions with their most notable acquisitions from the trade. Doncic secured a long-term deal with the Lakers and landed support as the franchise’s face in the eventual post-LeBron Lakers era.
As for Davis, he’s back on the trade block. His situation will soon get clarity with the trade deadline approaching.
What Are the Mavericks Thinking?
Some rumors have suggested that Davis’ reps have been pushing for a trade behind the scenes. Although he’s injured, the big man could return in time for a playoff push. The Mavericks don’t seem to be going very far, and they don’t seem invested in a long-term future with Davis. Reality is that he is better off finding a new home so he can begin working towards his next and potentially final big deal in the NBA.
Davis’s agent denied the claims of being pushy. And the Mavericks reportedly feel “no pressure” to move him.
According to The Stein Line, the Mavs are certainly welcoming all calls on the Davis front ahead of the deadline. It’s been made clear that there isn’t a rush to get anything done. The Mavericks are “prepared to proceed with him on the roster” after the deadline kicks in.
The fact that the Mavericks are fine with keeping Davis on board until the next offseason, at the earliest, makes it more difficult for contenders to get a deal done. No rush from Dallas means there are no discounts. As a result, there hasn’t been much of a market for the 32-year-old veteran, who is guaranteed to miss a notable chunk of time.
The Atlanta Hawks and the Toronto Raptors were two frequent suitors for Davis, with the Golden State Warriors, Charlotte Hornets, and the Chicago Bulls having links early on. None of those teams seems very active in that market anymore.
When healthy, Davis is one of the top two-way players at his position. In 20 games, he averages 20.4 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks for the Mavs this year. But the keyword is healthy. In November, Davis missed 14 games in a row. He returned until January 8, which ended up being the final game he played for the time being. Davis is in the midst of an 11-game stretch of absences.
The situation seems too complicated and risky for teams to pick up Davis from the Mavs. The changes of Dallas heading into the 2026 offseason with his $58 million salary on the books for next year seem to be growing as the deadline nears.
For all the latest NBA news and rumors, head over to Newsweek Sports.
