ESPN: Anthony Davis Waived Trade Kicker as Star Eyes Mavs Contract After Lakers Deal

Hours after joining the Dallas Mavericks, Anthony Davis is already reportedly helping the team out with their salary cap situation.

Davis waived his 15 percent trade kicker, which would have cost the Mavs $5.9 million, after being traded to Dallas in exchange for Luka Dončić, ESPN's Dave McMenamin reported.

The Mavs are hard-capped at the first apron of the luxury tax this season.

McMenamin noted that Davis believes he can make back the $5.9 million both through Texas' lack of state income taxes and "in signing a contract extension in the future with the franchise."

Davis' decision to help the Mavericks comes after Andscape's Marc J. Spears reported he is "good with going to Dallas."

Davis could be considering signing long-term in Dallas in part because of the opportunity to play alongside traditional centers like Daniel Gafford and, following his return from injury, Dereck Lively II.

The former Lakers star repeatedly told reporters he wanted to play alongside another big in Los Angeles, most recently telling ESPN's Shams Charania on Jan. 23 that he has "always been at my best when I've been the 4, having a big out there."

The Mavs have both Gafford and Lively signed through the 2025-26 season, and hold a 2026-27 club option for Lively.

Although The Athletic's Christian Clark reported last month the Mavericks had shopped Gafford in trade talks, the club may be more likely to stick with him if it keeps Davis in the fold.

After all, NBA insider Marc Stein reported Sunday that the Mavs see Davis as a "top-10 player" in the NBA, and that the trade had been made after team leadership decided "to pursue Davis and pretty much no one else."

Davis waiving the trade kicker could up the chances the Mavs are able to offer him an extension should they decide to commit long-term to the veteran forward.

The Mavs went into the trade $5.1 million over the luxury tax, according to ESPN's Bobby Marks. The team now sits $628,000 below the luxury tax and $6.3 million below the first apron, per Marks.

The Mavericks are missing a clear playmaker after sending out Dončić. Thanks in part to Davis forgoing the kicker, the team could potentially use the space under the first apron to add another piece ahead of the Feb. 6 deadline.