Is the Mavericks trading Anthony Davis to Detroit Pistons a real possibility?

The Dallas Mavericks will likely trade Anthony Davis at some point this season as long as the right trade offer comes across the table. They won't give him away for free, but it's becoming clear that he doesn't quite fit the rest of the roster, and as much as he and Kyrie Irving want to play together, the Mavs need to focus on the future.

ESPN's NBA insider Shams Charania released a report stating that the Atlanta Hawks, Toronto Raptors, and Detroit Pistons are expected to show interest in the 10-time All-Star, but how realistic is that interest?

As of late, it doesn't seem like the Pistons have had much interest, if at all. Marc Stein reported earlier in the week that "the early noise about the Pistons is that they don’t want to go out and make some splashy trade.”

Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press said similarly, stating on Bluesky, "I’m told the Pistons haven’t had talks with the Mavericks regarding Anthony Davis." And then, in a later article, he backed those statements up: "And based on private discussions and public comments from the front office and coaching staff, it seems unlikely the Pistons are or will be among the teams looking to acquire [Davis]."

Dec 12, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Anthony Davis (3) looks on during the game between the Mavericks and the Nets at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Pistons speculation always seemed far-fetched. They're having a pretty good season, sitting first in the Eastern Conference with a 20-5 record. Cade Cunningham is a legitimate star, and Jalen Duren has been incredible as their center. Messing up the spacing by inserting Anthony Davis as a power forward wouldn't make their team or the spacing any better, and they're already playing really well.

Detroit is basically in the same phase as the 2023-24 OKC Thunder, where they're probably a year ahead of where they need to be, but they'd rather stick it out and see what the team can do this year without any major moves. And that's probably the best path for them.

What Would a Mavericks-Pistons Trade for Anthony Davis Even Look Like?

ESPN recently compiled a list of mock trades for Anthony Davis, and one of them included one with the Detroit Pistons. Here's what that deal looked like.

Mavericks Receive: Tobias Harris, Jaden Ivey, Ronald Holland II
Pistons Receive: Anthony Davis

While the Mavericks would get to bet on two exciting young talents in Ivey and Holland, they'd have to make a separate trade to get rid of two other players since they're at a full 15-man roster, and that would likely include dumping other draft capital to make it work. And that just doesn't feel realistic whatsoever.

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