NBA executives expect Mavericks to shop Anthony Davis in trades, per report

The Dallas Mavericks fired general manager Nico Harrison on Tuesday morning after a 3-8 start to the season, and 9 months removed from trading Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers. It was a move that many people expected to come after the trade, but this firing was somehow sooner than most people expected it.

The though on everyone's mind now is what happens to Anthony Davis? He was the star of Harrison's eye and the key return of the Doncic trade, but it's clear that it's hard to operate an offense with Davis playing power forward with no shooting or playmaking around him.

According to ESPN's Tim MacMahon, executives around the NBA expect Anthony Davis to be shopped now that Nico Harrison is gone, as Harrison would've never considered trading Davis.

"You don't go two timelines anymore," a West executive told MacMahon. "You say, 'We're going to take what we can get [for Davis].' At this point, I'm not sure what they can get."

"You have Flagg, but you're old and you don't own your picks," a different Western Conference executive said. "[They have to] be comfortable with taking two steps back if that's the necessary path. Be patient. They need to lose this year, but I don't see Dumont being comfortable with taking a step back. It's not natural as a new owner."

Oct 22, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Anthony Davis (3) in action during the game against the San Antonio Spurs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

What Would Anthony Davis Fetch in a Trade?

Over the summer, ESPN's Shams Charania believed that Anthony Davis could still get back a haul of draft picks, but that seems unlikely now. Davis has played in just 14 of a possible 44 games since the trade in February, and he's dealing with a low-grade calf strain right now that's caused him to miss the last six games, and calf strains are a scary injury.

There is no return for Anthony Davis that will make the Luka Doncic trade worth it, but since the Mavs don't own any of their picks from 2027 through 2030, and Davis is probably the one player that can help recoup some of those lost assets.

However, Davis still has two years remaining on his contract after this season, one where he's already making $54.1 million this season at 32 years old. By the time he's 34, Davis will have a player option worth $62.78 million. That's a LOT of money for a player with an injury history like Davis, and it may be hard to convince a team to take on that contract.

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