This Trade Deadline Rumor Could Reshape Mavericks Future

The Dallas Mavericks are going into the trade deadline with a lot of cards.

Dallas Mavericks forward Anthony Davis stands on the court before the start of the game against the Sacramento Kings. | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

The Dallas Mavericks are trying to figure out what to do regarding Anthony Davis ahead of the NBA trade deadline next week.

Davis is approaching the one-year anniversary since his trade from the Los Angeles Lakers to the Mavericks for Luka Doncic, but his tenure in the Lone Star State has primarily been defined by injuries. NBA insider Marc Stein shared his two cents on a potential Davis trade and what it means for the team moving forward.

"My best read on Davis, meanwhile, remains that he would prefer to stay put for the rest of this season after absorbing the shock of last February's sudden in-season relocation from the Lakers to the Mavericks and a string of injuries since he became a Mav," Stein wrote.

"It likewise appears that there is little active momentum toward a Davis deal before the Feb. 5 deadline in the wake of the ligament damage in his left hand sustained on Jan. 8 that is expected to sideline Davis into March. He turns 33 on March 11."

READ MORE: Mavericks' Cooper Flagg to Get First Taste of NBA All-Star Weekend

Dallas Mavericks forward Anthony Davis drives past Sacramento Kings guard DeMar DeRozan. | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

Mavericks Could Look to Keep Anthony Davis

The Mavericks have long hoped to pair No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg with Davis and Kyrie Irving in hopes of building a contender in that way. However, it doesn't appear to be happening in the near future.

"There have been whispers in Dallas for months suggesting that various voices within the organization (starting with ownership) would relish getting a look at Davis and Kyrie Irving playing alongside Rookie of the Year favorite Cooper Flagg before truly committing to trading away Davis. Yet that just might not be possible this season," Stein wrote.

Because of Davis and Irving's injury timelines, the Mavericks might have to wait until next season to experiment with a lineup with all three of them in it. With the future holding a lot of the unknown, that puts the Mavericks in a spot to where they have to at least listen to trade offers.

"The Mavericks, for starters, are expected to continue fielding any incoming calls for Davis between now and the deadline. And even if no trade materializes, Dallas might well be in full, uh, draft positioning prioritization mode by the time Davis is ready to return to the floor in the spring, since the Mavericks infamously don't control their first-round pick until 2031 after this June's draft and badly need another dose of lottery luck," Stein wrote.

The Mavericks should figure out what the best offer they can get for Davis will be. That doesn't mean they have to accept it, but it will at least give the Mavericks a chance to gauge what Davis' value is to other teams, and that will shape their approach moving forward.

READ MORE: Mavericks Reportedly Have High Asking Price For Veteran in Trade Talks

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