NBA Rumors: Mavericks, Anthony Davis, Magic, Tyus Jones, Raptors

Mavericks

Rich Paul is pushing back on trade chatter involving Anthony Davis, at least publicly.

Responding to a report suggesting he wants Davis moved, Paul labeled the idea “fake news” while stopping short of fully dismissing the underlying message.

Speaking on the Game Over podcast, Paul framed the situation more around player happiness, long-term positioning, and financial security than any specific team.

“It’s not like you want a guy moved just for the sake of being moved,” Paul said. “If a guy is happy where they are, great. You care about people’s families. You care about the guys’ well-being. From a business perspective, you want guys to be positioned and you want guys to be paid.”

Paul emphasized that the destination itself is secondary to stability and opportunity.

“I really don’t care where the money comes from,” he added. “As long as my guy’s positioned and paid, that’s all I want to do.”

Either way, a Davis trade appears unlikely ahead of Thursday’s deadline, but the long-term picture remains something to monitor.

Magic

There is growing expectation around the NBA that Orlando will look to duck the luxury tax.

Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst of ESPN report the Magic are operating roughly $5.6 million into the tax, making Tyus Jones and his $7 million expiring contract a logical pressure-release valve. Such a move would help short-term finances but would not solve Orlando’s larger cap squeeze.

The Magic are projected to flirt with second-apron territory next season and could soon be negotiating a rookie-scale extension with Anthony Black. Rival teams are watching closely to see whether Orlando looks to shed longer-term salary now or waits until the offseason.

There is also some quiet skepticism about the max extension given to Paolo Banchero.

“Banchero is a physically gifted and highly talented player who doesn’t always make his team better,” one Western Conference executive told ESPN. “It reminds you at times of Carmelo Anthony. He’s young, but I’d guess Orlando is at least thinking about having given him a full max with an opt out.”

Raptors

Toronto continues to loom as a potential buyer.

Bontemps and Windhorst report that league sources believe the Raptors have both the draft control and asset flexibility to be aggressive if the right opportunity presents itself.

“There are only a few teams out there who have full control of their drafts,” one Eastern Conference executive said. “That makes Toronto a buyer if they want.”

That said, cap reality still matters. With roughly $165 million committed to their top five players next season, the Raptors may ultimately need those picks more than they want to spend them.