Imagining what an Anthony Davis-Hornets trade would look like this winter

The Charlotte Hornets have a ton of reasons to make absolutely no moves before the February 5 trade deadline, even if the lowly Los Angeles Clippers call about LaMelo Ball.

But since 'tis the season for all things NBA roster re-construction, why not do a little brainstorming about what kind of package the Hornets could put together for Dallas Mavericks big man Anthony Davis, who is rumored to be available?

Not surprisingly, LaMelo would have to be included in the deal, mostly because the Hornets don't have anyone else making nearly enough dough to match Davis' gargantuan $54 million cap hit coming back. But who else would be included in a realistic trade? Let's dive in.

LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges are in the theoretical Hornets trade package for Anthony Davis

Report: Mavericks would only move Anthony Davis for significant return https://t.co/Hy4Y57pFwc
— Hoops Wire (@WireHoops) December 17, 2025

Here's what the deal would look like, folks (yes, this works money-wise):

Hornets receive: Anthony Davis, Caleb Martin
Mavericks receive: LaMelo Ball, Miles Bridges, 2027 first-round pick (CHA)

Dallas would probably ask for Charlotte's upcoming 2026 first-round pick during theoretical trade negotiations, to which Hornets PBO Jeff Peterson might reply, "AD isn't quite that guy anymore,' and the Mavs wouldn't have much of a retort.

After all, there's a reason Dallas is reportedly open to moving Davis. His best days are probably behind him, especially given the fact that he's pretty much never consistently healthy.

The Mavs are more excited about a future built around Cooper Flagg, with Kyrie Irving, not AD, playing the role of veteran leader. Adding LaMelo to that mix would give Dallas an exciting lead ball-handler to allow Kyrie to play his more natural, off-ball position. It's actually a decent fit. Bridges would fit in anywhere, including the Mavs.

This trade actually makes less sense for the Hornets than it does for Dallas. There is an appeal to trading LaMelo, as has been discussed tirelessly by Hornets fans, and getting a return of Anthony freakin' Davis for Ball is definitely one of the better outcomes to trading Melo.

At the same time, though, forking over a first-rounder during a rebuild is always painful. There's a really good chance that that 2027 pick is going to be a lottery selection, with all due respect to Charlotte's continual progress. They are still probably two or three years away from being a definite playoff team, not one or two years away.

The ceiling of this Davis trade idea -- the best-case scenario -- is obviously spectacular for the Hornets. In that world, Davis comes over, stays moderately healthy (i.e., 60 games a year), and he produces as AD can for the next 2.5 seasons in Charlotte, speeding up the aforementioned playoff window to as early as 2026-27, thereby weakening the pick that was just sent over to Dallas.

Adding a healthy and consistently available AD to Brandon Miller, Moussa Diabate, Tre Mann, and Charlotte's 2025 rookie class -- Kon Knueppel, Sion James, Ryan Kalkbrenner, and Liam McNeeley -- would absolutely be a playoff-worthy core in the East.

But this is the stuff of fantasy more than it is a realistic forecast.

The far more realistic outcome of this trade would be a 30-40 games per season version of Davis, or worse. As sad as that sounds, it's not illogical. AD turns 33 in March, which is more like 37 in AD years.

This trade idea is a bit more interesting than expected, but the Hornets should probably steer clear of AD so as not to pollute the good vibes that their youth movement has created.

- MORE STORIES FROM HORNETS ON SI -

Should Hornets fans be concerned about Brandon Miller's shooting splits?

LaMelo Ball is nearing a return to the Hornets' lineup after two weeks on the shelf

Can Ryan Kalkbrenner be the Hornets’ answer at center or just a short-term stopgap?

Bill Simmons floated a LaMelo Ball trade idea, but it makes zero sense for Charlotte