Mavericks interest in Trae Young in potential Anthony Davis trade with Hawks revealed

Enough rumors have been swirling around Anthony Davis and the Dallas Mavericks that a trade seems like it'll come in the near future, and the Atlanta Hawks have emerged as the likeliest landing spot for the 10-time All-Star. There has basically already been the outline of a trade package, which includes Kristaps Porzingis, Zaccharie Risacher, and Luke Kennard for Davis.

However, the Hawks are exploring the trade market for All-Star guard Trae Young as well. Is there a world where the Mavericks would be interested in acquiring Young in a package for Davis? According to ESPN's Tim MacMahon, there's no chance of that.

"I can just tell you, the Mavericks would like to work out a deal to send Anthony Davis to Atlanta, but Trae Young's not going to be a part of that," MacMahon said on the latest "Hoop Collective" podcast. "They want to move forward with Kyrie Irving as their point guard, and you're not going to play those two guys together."

The Mavericks would like to work out a deal to send Anthony Davis to Atlanta, but they have no interest in Trae Young, per @BannedMacMahon

(h/t @MrBuckBuckNBA )

pic.twitter.com/Zy8H886gKD
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) December 29, 2025

Trae Young can become a free agent after this offseason, or he can opt into his player option worth just a little under $49 million for next year. Either way, that's going to be a tough negotiation, and his value seems low around the NBA.

Just this season, the Atlanta Hawks are just 2-8 when Young is in the lineup and 13-10 without him. He's a good player who can give a team a consistent 20 points and 10 assists, but he's not worth the salary he's currently making, and his size limits how teams can build around him. Ideally, a team would have a lot of 3&D options flanking him, but every team needs more 3&D options.

Maybe it's a bold decision that the Mavericks would rather have a 33-year-old Kyrie Irving coming off an ACL tear instead of a 27-year-old 4-time All-Star, but Irving is cheaper and better.

Dec 27, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) in action against the New York Knicks in the fourth quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Why Would the Mavericks Prefer The Current Rumored Package from the Hawks?

If the Mavericks were to accept the rumored package of Kristaps Porzingis, Luke Kennard, Zaccharie Risacher, and draft capital for Anthony Davis and a roster filler, whether it be D'Angelo Russell or someone else, there would be two big keys.

The first would be betting on a young talent in Risacher, who was just the first overall pick of the 2024 NBA Draft. Granted, it's by far the worst draft in recent memory, but he's still a talented player.

Dallas would also have $41.7 million in expiring contracts in Porzingis and Kennard that they can let expire, which would open a lot of space for them this offseason to play around with. Getting off Davis' contract for next year would be huge, even if he's still a great player.

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