Nets Cited As Facilitator in Anthony Davis Mock Trade

As the Dallas Mavericks consider entering a full rebuild, the Brooklyn Nets are a facilitator to watch in a potential Anthony Davis trade.

Mar 31, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Anthony Davis (3) looks to move the ball past Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton (33) during the second quarter at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

It's hard to fathom considering they were in the NBA Finals less than two years ago, but the Dallas Mavericks are getting closer to where the Brooklyn Nets are in terms of the state of the team.

The Mavericks have finally canned Nico Harrison, the mind behind the infamous Luka Doncic trade. Since that deal in February of this year, Dallas has sputtered despite landing Cooper with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. At the moment, they're toward the bottom of the Western Conference at 3-9, just a few games better than the 1-10 Nets.

Now, there are rumblings that the Mavericks may move on from Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving with a new GM tandem of Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi. But where does Brooklyn fit into the picture?

The Nets have the most cap space of any team, meaning they can facilitate a blockbuster trade that would move Davis or Irving to an organization that wouldn't be able to afford a two-team deal. Bleacher Report's Eric Pincus recently proposed an Anthony Davis mock trade that involves the Nets and their crosstown rival, the New York Knicks.

Mavericks receive: Karl-Anthony Towns, Guerschon Yabusele, Tyler Kolek, Pacome Dadiet, Ariel Hukporti, $4 million trade exception (Dwight Powell)

Knicks receive: Anthony Davis, Jaden Hardy, Brandon Williams, Dante Exum, Draft Rights to Vanja Marinkovic, $2.8 million trade exception (Pacome Dadiet), $2.2 million trade exception (Tyler Kolek)

Nets receive: Dwight Powell, $5 million (via DAL), 2027 second-round pick (via NYK)

This would certainly rock the landscape of the Eastern Conference, and the Mavericks would pair Irving with a younger, more offensive-oriented big man in Towns. Dallas would be the biggest beneficiary of the trade, as the team would land younger players.

The Knicks would get better defensively, especially in the paint (an area Towns has struggled to protect). However, swapping out Towns for an injury-prone big man while moving on from youngsters like Kolek and Dadiet isn't the smartest move. New York doesn't benefit nearly as much as Dallas here.

However, the Nets have no reason to get involved in the trade. Sure, they profit off of the cash sent by the Mavericks, but a 2027 second-round pick isn't nearly enough of a price for Brooklyn to give away a roster spot to Powell, who is now 34 years old.

If the Nets were to push this trade through with their in-city rival, they'd need more of an incentive.