The Mavericks are expected to at least test the waters on an Anthony Davis trade before the deadline, according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon.
Team sources told MacMahon the plan is to explore options, even if nothing is imminent.
Speculation has been swirling since Dallas moved on from head of basketball operations Nico Harrison earlier this month. MacMahon’s reporting is the first real confirmation that Davis could be in play.
This is all part of a larger shift inside the organization. Governor Patrick Dumont and his new decision-makers — co-interim GMs Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi, head coach Jason Kidd and minority owner Mark Cuban — are mapping out a future built around No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg.
The 18-year-old is clearly the franchise centerpiece. The question now is how far Dallas goes with the roster around him.
Davis arrives with a decorated résumé. Ten All-Star nods, five All-NBA teams, five All-Defensive teams, a championship and a spot on the 75th anniversary team. But the other side of that résumé has become harder to ignore.
A long injury history has followed him to Dallas. Since arriving in the Luka Doncic blockbuster, Davis has played in just 14 of 48 possible regular-season games.
He remains sidelined with a left calf strain, and the medical staff — with Dumont heavily involved — has taken a cautious approach. The Mavericks said Sunday that he will be reevaluated in seven to 10 days.
Then there is the contract. Davis turns 33 in March and is owed $54.1 million this season, $58.5 million next season and has a $62.8 million player option in 2027-28. He is also extension-eligible next summer, which adds another layer of risk for any team calling.
There will still be interest. Big names always draw suitors. But league executives continue to wonder what type of return Dallas can realistically expect.
If Davis gets back on the floor and looks like an All-NBA player again, his value climbs. If not, the Mavericks may decide the offseason provides a cleaner runway to explore a move.
Either way, the clock is ticking toward February 5, and Dallas knows it has decisions to make.
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