Should the Pelicans Pursue an Anthony Davis Reunion Amid Mavericks Chaos?

Anthony Davis may be on the move after the Mavericks fired Nico Harrison. Should the New Orleans Pelicans pursue a trade?

Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The Dallas Mavericks made the unsurprising decision to part ways with GM Nico Harrison on Tuesday. The architect of the infamous Luka Doncic trade only lasted 11 games into the 2025-26 season. The 3-8 Mavericks will now likely head towards a rebuild, and naturally, mock trade scenarios surrounding Anthony Davis have been dominating the airwaves. NBA insider Zach Lowe discussed nine potential suitors for AD on his podcast, and the Pelicans were not included. However, there is a contingent of Pelicans fans who would certainly welcome the idea of bringing back arguably the best player in franchise history.

Normally, a 2-8 team pushing more chips into trade for a 32-year-old star wouldn't make much sense. However, the Pelicans are not in normal circumstances. They don't control their own 2026 first-round pick, so there is very little benefit to pivot and rebuild this season. They have to continue trying and being as competitive as possible.

Anthony Davis May Be On the Move After the Nico Harrison Firing

For a lot of teams, trading for Davis is a challenge. In today's NBA, with the new, punitive collective bargaining agreement of first and second aprons, trading for a player who makes $54.1 million mid-season can be very difficult. For the Pelicans, however, this would be less of a challenge.

New Orleans has a ton of matching salary and assets. Dejounte Murray is essentially dead salary at $30.8 million, and Jordan Poole is a negative asset at $31.8 million in 2025-26 salary. The Pelicans can easily match AD's salary with those two without giving up any player of value.

Obviously, the Mavs will require a ton of draft capital or the inclusion of at least one young player of intrigue. The Pelicans could give up to three unprotected first-round picks and two pick swaps in a deal. That is probably too much for Davis at this stage of his career, especially after his slow start to the season. If a deal can be made with two first-round picks, and without the inclusion of Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen, the Pelicans could seriously consider it.

If there is a bidding war for AD, which drives up his price, however, the Pelicans would be wiser to stand pat.

On paper, Davis is the exact type of player the Pelicans have failed to put next to Zion Williamson over the years. These days, Davis is not the elite athlete he was when he was in New Orleans earlier in his career, but he is still one of the best defensive big men in the NBA. He can defend in the post, guard out in the perimeter, and protect the rim, and has the size, length, and defensive playmaking chops that Williamson lacks.

Ideally, the center next to Williamson would also be able to shoot and space the floor, and Davis has failed to develop that part of his game since leaving New Orleans. Their offensive fit wouldn't be the cleanest, but it would be such an obvious talent upgrade that it would be easy to talk yourself into it.

This is a long answer to the question of whether the Pelicans should pursue an Anthony Davis trade. Maybe it's a cop out, but the answer should be, "It depends on the price."