Rival teams expect Mavericks to shop Anthony Davis ahead of trade deadline

Rival teams are bracing for the Mavericks to explore an Anthony Davis trade before the Feb. 5 deadline, according to Marc Stein of The Stein Line.

Dallas hasn’t signaled anything publicly, but the expectation around the league is that Davis will be made available.

Davis missed his ninth straight game on Sunday with a left calf strain and has already been ruled out another 7-to-10 days.

Stein added that the consensus is simple: Davis has to put together a strong December and January for Dallas to get the type of offers it hoped for when it acquired him as a centerpiece.

The 32-year-old is only in Year 1 of a three-year, $175 million deal he signed with the Lakers before the trade that sent him to Dallas.

Meanwhile, center Daniel Gafford is viewed as the most tradable Maverick, Stein wrote, though the injuries to Davis and Dereck Lively II complicate things.

Gafford is in the first season of a three-year, $54.4 million extension.

Dallas recently fired GM Nico Harrison, who made last season’s blockbuster Luka Doncic deal with the Lakers — a move that brought back Davis and Max Christie.

As for Davis, league sources told Dallas Hoops Journal that interested teams want to see him drop weight to regain his usual mobility. He reported to camp at 268 pounds, roughly 15 heavier than his final listed weight with the Lakers.

Davis has appeared in just 14 games for Dallas since the trade. He’s making $54.1 million this season and is owed $58.5 million next year, with a $62.8 million player option for 2027–28.

Gafford is earning $14.4 million this season and remains one of the few contracts on the roster considered easily movable.