NBA Rumors: Mavs, Anthony Davis, Magic, Desmond Bane, Spurs, Lakers

Mavericks

The Mavericks are 3-9 and drifting, and executives around the league are starting to wonder if the only way out is through a teardown.

As ESPN’s Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst reported, there’s a growing belief that Dallas might have to explore trading Anthony Davis — and maybe Kyrie Irving — to reset the franchise around Cooper Flagg and regain the draft capital it lost in the Luka Doncic deal.

Davis is the name that keeps coming up in front-office chatter. He’s been out with a left calf strain and has logged just five games, and his contract only adds to the complication.

He’s owed $58.5 million in 2026-27, has a $62.8 million player option after that, and will be eligible next summer to tack on an extension worth up to $218.5 million.

That’s giving rival teams pause.

A GM told ESPN he already ran the math in case his ownership group asks: “AD is turning 33 in March. He’ll want an extension that could cost $70 million a year when he’s 37. He’s a great player, full stop. But you’d also be trading for the stress of that extension. That plays into it.”

Windhorst added that Dallas may struggle to get the return it wants because of Davis’ age and injury history.

Even so, multiple execs told Bontemps the Mavericks could still be dangerous if fully healthy — but that the smarter long-term play might be cashing out.

After 2026, Dallas doesn’t control any of its own first-rounders for the rest of the decade. Moving Davis and Irving would help replenish the cupboard and get the franchise out of a projected $32 million tax bill.

Magic

Orlando has won five of seven, but the offense still sits middle of the pack. The Desmond Bane trade hasn’t unlocked much yet, and Windhorst reports that head coach Jamahl Mosley has handed most of the play-calling to assistant Joe Prunty.

Some inside the league aren’t sold the current group can get where it needs to go.

“Bane will settle in eventually,” a West exec told ESPN. “But you still have a ball-dominant iso star in Paolo Banchero that doesn’t scream ball movement and open shots. It hasn’t been pretty at all.”

Spurs/Lakers

San Antonio and Los Angeles are both off to encouraging starts, but not everyone is buying them as long-term top-four contenders in the West.

A Western scout questioned whether Victor Wembanyama can withstand a full 82-game grind.

And an Eastern exec told ESPN he won’t weigh in on the Lakers until he sees LeBron James healthy.

“He isn’t just dealing with the sciatica,” the exec said. “He hurt his knee at the end of last season, and it definitely impacted his offseason. He’s never started a season coming off injuries like this before.”