Mavericks to Get First Taste of Post-Anthony Davis Era Against Spurs

The NBA trade deadline will happen on Thursday afternoon, and Anthony Davis is no longer with the Dallas Mavericks, but not just because of injury. We may have only seen him for 29 regular-season games with the Mavs, so it's not like it'll be different to not see him in a Mavericks uniform.

However, they made the decision to move him to the Washington Wizards in a trade that also sent out D'Angelo Russell, Jaden Hardy, and Dante Exum, four players who have played a combined 80 games out of a possible 200 this season. You won't even notice these players being gone from the Mavs. Since the calendar turned to 2026, Russell and Davis played in five games.

The players they got back won't make much of an impact either unless AJ Johnson makes a big development jump or Marvin Bagley III sticks around as a backup big. This trade was about freeing future salary and letting a fanbase heal from the Luka Doncic trade that somehow looks even worse.

Jan 31, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) reacts after a play during the second quarter against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

This is officially the Cooper Flagg era, if it wasn't already. They have pivoted to focusing on his development and the fit around him, which is what they should've done the moment they won the first overall pick. The first game outside of the Anthony Davis era will be a matchup against the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday night, which will be the second night of a back-to-back for the Spurs.

San Antonio is coming off a 10-point win over the OKC Thunder on Wednesday, which was an impressive performance for the Thunder, considering they'll be without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for a few weeks as he recovers from an abdominal strain.

The Spurs have been one of the better surprises of the league, sitting second in the loaded Western Conference. Victor Wembanyama has been in and out of the lineup and has never quite lived up to the high standard he set for himself in the first game this season, which came against the Mavs.