Ranking every Mavericks player by trade chances, from Anthony Davis to Cooper Flagg

The NBA trade season unofficially tips off tomorrow, December 15th, as that's the date when most of the people who signed contracts this offseason are now eligible to be traded. There are still some exceptions here and there, but most of the league will be trade eligible, and teams now know what they need to improve on if they want to contend.

It was a bad start to the season for the Dallas Mavericks, but they've won five of their last six games to now sit with a 10-16 record. Being a contender still seems incredibly unlikely, but they do have a chance of still making the playoffs. That could impact their trade plans, but rumors have been flying around about a few different players.

So, with the trade season right around the corner, here's a ranking of every Maverick on how likely they are to be traded by this year's trade deadline. Players on two-way contracts (aka Ryan Nembhard) can't be traded, so they won't be included in this exercise, and we'll start it with a maybe unlikely name. Player 15 will be the least likely to be traded, while 1st will be the most likely.

Dec 12, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) looks on during the second half against the Brooklyn Nets at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Players Impossible/Unlikely to be Traded

15. P.J. Washington

P.J. Washington didn't sign his contract extension of four years, $88 million, until September 10th, which makes him ineligible to be traded until March 3rd, and that's after the trade deadline. So, while everyone would agree that Cooper Flagg isn't going anywhere, P.J. Washington quite literally can't be traded.

14. Cooper Flagg

No surprise, but Cooper Flagg isn't going anywhere. He's already exceeding expectations before his 19th birthday, and he's this franchise's only saving grace for the future. They're not going to make that mistake again.

13. Dwight Powell

Rumors were going around that this could be Powell's last season before retirement. While Mark Cuban came out and denied it, it could still be a possibility. Powell is in the last year of his contract, and he's a franchise icon. He's not going anywhere.

12. Kyrie Irving

Multiple reports have surfaced that the Mavericks want to keep Kyrie Irving around to help develop Cooper Flagg. He's one of the best guards in the league, when healthy, and he's the happiest he's been in his career in Dallas. Unless an offer comes through that is way too good to pass up on, Irving will still be a Maverick.

Good Players on Really Good Contracts, Making it Unlikely

11. Max Christie

Max Christie has turned into one of the league's best three-point shooters, especially from the corner, where he's among the league leaders in shooting percentage. He's set to make just $15 million total over this year and next, and then has a player option for $8.8 million for the 2027-28 season. That's tremendous value for someone who is a starter for this team.

10. Naji Marshall

Marshall has played his best basketball as of late, averaging 15.9 PPG, 4.4 RPG, and 3.3 APG over the last seven games. He's making a total of $18.4 million over this season and next, which is a bargain for how good a player he is. He could start on a lot of teams, but he's an extremely versatile player for the Mavs.

9. Brandon Williams

Williams is set to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season (thanks, Nico Harrison), and is only making $2.2 million. With how shaky the team's point guard situation is, they need to hang onto him, even once Kyrie Irving returns. Williams has had some big games this year, including 20 points in the win over the Houston Rockets last year.

8. Dereck Lively II

Lively's already concerning injury history makes it difficult to trade him. He still has one more year remaining on his rookie contract, and it's probably best for both parties to see what he can do when he returns next season.

Bad Contracts/Salary Fillers

7. Jaden Hardy

Hardy has really only played in blowouts despite the team's severe need for a scoring punch at guard. He just started the first year of a three-year, $18 million contract, which would likely need to be attached with assets to get off. They may be able to attach it to another trade as filler.

6. Caleb Martin

Martin is the worst player on the Mavericks and is making nearly $30 million over the next three seasons. It's going to take a lot to convince another team to take on that contract, but hopefully, he can be attached in a bigger trade so the Mavs can get this deal off the books.

5. Dante Exum

Exum won't play this year because of a knee surgery, and he's on a minimum contract. He could be waived, but ideally, the Mavs can ship him to a third team as part of a trade to get off his salary, and they can cut him.

Nov 17, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard D'Angelo Russell (5) dribbles the ball against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first half at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images | Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Aging Veterans

4. D'Angelo Russell

Unsurprisingly, D'Angelo Russell has been borderline unplayable this year. He had the worst year of his career last year, and the Mavs (aka Nico Harrison) thought he could bounce back, but he's clearly just not a good player anymore. It's hard to imagine the Mavericks getting anything of value back for him, but he's been mentioned in some trade rumors.

3. Klay Thompson

Thompson has played MUCH better in the last few weeks, looking like the sharpshooter we all know he can be. He would like to play on a contender, but he's making a total of about $34 million this year and next. That's a lot of money for an aging player who likely won't get any better. But he can still help a good team.

The Likely Candidates

2. Anthony Davis

The only reasons that Anthony Davis isn't higher is because of his age and contract value. He just entered the first year of his $175 million extension that the Lakers signed him to a few years ago, but he isn't available enough to make that contract worth it. He's still a really good player when healthy, but not many teams will want to pay him more than $62 million when he's 34. Dallas wants to move him, but that deal may be hard to find while getting decent value back.

1. Daniel Gafford

Gafford signed a three-year, $54 million extension this offseason, which was the most he could sign for while still being trade-eligible. It's a good value for a starting-level center, and while the Mavs won't have Dereck Lively II the rest of the year, if an offer comes across where they can get a first-round pick from 2027 to 2030 and a decent player, they should take it. Teams like the Indiana Pacers and the Los Angeles Lakers will likely have interest in Gafford.

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