Anthony Davis makes his stance on trade rumors with Mavericks clear

Anthony Davis has found himself at the center of trade rumors as the Dallas Mavericks look to reset their timeline around first overall pick Cooper Flagg, who looks like a superstar in the making. A few different teams have been rumored to be interested in the 10-time All-Star, but what would Anthony Davis prefer?

According to ESPN's Tim MacMahon, Davis doesn't want to go anywhere. "AD's preference would be to stay in Dallas and to get that extension this summer," MacMahon said on NBA Today. "The Mavericks are trying to generate a good trade market for Anthony Davis. That is difficult because of the durability issues, and I think more so the dollars. In a situation like this Rich Paul is going to be involved. They are going to want AD traded somewhere that is willing to give him a long lucrative extension."

MacMahon:

"AD's preference would be to stay in Dallas and to get that extension this summer...the Mavericks are trying to generate a good trade market for Anthony Davis. That is difficult because of the durability issues, and I think more so the dollars. In a situation like this… pic.twitter.com/YVV9zUByt2
— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) January 5, 2026

Davis is making $54.1 million this year, is set to make $58.5 million next year, and then has a player option worth a whopping $62.8 million for the 2027-28 season. It may be hard to find a team that's willing to trade for that contract. If a team trades for him, they may want to talk him into opting out of that player option to give him a longer contract. Could he be tempted with a similar deal to what Kyrie Irving just signed, which was for about $120 million over three years? He likely wants a lucrative deal, and that may not be for the maximum value, but it'd give him an extra $60 million that he's not signed on for right now.

What Would the Mavericks Prefer for Anthony Davis?

The Mavericks would probably like to still trade Anthony Davis if they can, and get back a few assets that can help them for the Cooper Flagg era, whether that's young players, draft capital, expiring contracts, or any combination of the three.

But it's becoming increasingly harder to find a trade partner that would be willing to give up assets for him. The Atlanta Hawks seem like they only want to do business if Trae Young is involved, who the Mavericks seem not to want any part of. The Golden State Warriors don't want to get rid of Draymond Green, as much as they probably should. And no other team has shown serious consideration.

There is still a month until the trade deadline, so anything is possible, but a trade may not be looming.

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