Will Anthony Davis Be Traded? Latest Rumors on Mavs Star After Nico Harrison Firing
Now that the general manager who traded for Anthony Davis is no longer employed by the Dallas Mavericks, the 10-time All-Star could eventually find his way on to another team.
Per ESPN's Tim MacMahon, the Mavs are expected to explore the market for Davis leading up to the Feb. 5 trade deadline in the aftermath of Nico Harrison's firing.
When the Mavericks fired Harrison on Nov. 11, it seemed to indicate that the franchise was ready for a reset in the wake of the disastrous Luka Dončić trade.
Davis' standing with the organization became the immediate focus of attention. He is still a player who would seem to have a lot of value for teams looking to contend for a title this season, though there are complicating factors that could make it difficult for Dallas to get a significant haul back in a potential deal.
To begin with, Davis has not yet played in a game this season due to a calf strain. MacMahon noted there has been a difference of opinion between Davis and the Mavericks about his readiness to play.
Davis' camp, as well as Harrison, were preparing for him to debut on Nov. 8 against the Washington Wizards, but Mavs officials and governor Patrick Dumont decided to hold him back until there were "medical metrics" available that indicated he wasn't at risk of aggravating the injury or potentially making it worse.
The Mavericks announced on Monday that Davis will miss "at least" another seven to 10 days.
There's also the financial aspect with Davis in the new apron era. He is owed $54.1 million this season, $58.5 million in 2026-27 and $62.8 million on a player option for 2027-28.
When Davis is healthy and playing, he's undeniably one of the best players in the NBA. The 32-year-old has averaged a double-double in each of the past three seasons and finished fourth in Defensive Player of the Year voting as recently as 2023-24.
Considering the Mavericks don't have control of their first-round draft picks from 2027 to '29, being able to get any long-term assets they could for Davis is the correct strategy for the organization to take as they build around Cooper Flagg.
Dallas sits in 13th place in the Western Conference with a 4-11 record entering play on Wednesday.
