Anthony Davis Rumors, Latest on Hawks' Pursuit of Mavs Star After Trae Young Trade
The Feb. 5 NBA trade deadline is less than a month away, and Dallas Mavericks star big man Anthony Davis remains a rumored candidate to be moved.
With the Atlanta Hawks having traded star point guard Trae Young to the Washington Wizards on Wednesday, the franchise now has "added financial flexibility to pursue a large salary over the next several months – with Dallas Mavericks star Anthony Davis as a prime in-season trade target," per ESPN's Shams Charania.
According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Mavs have been engaged with the Hawks in trade discussions regarding Davis, but league sources said that the Hawks "have resisted including former No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher and the [New Orleans] Pelicans' unprotected 2026 first-round draft pick via the Derik Queen trade."
Scotto went on to add that the Hawks have "labeled the unprotected 2026 first-round draft pick from New Orleans as virtually untradeable heading into the deadline." The Pelicans have an 8-29 record and are tied with the Indiana Pacers (6-30) and Sacramento Kings (8-28) for the highest odds of winning the NBA draft lottery at 14 percent.
Atlanta is also hesitant to let go of Rishacher, who hasn't made much of an impact in his sophomore season. The 2024 No. 1 pick has started all 35 of his appearances and is averaging just 10.8 points, down from 12.6 points in his rookie year. Still, that hasn't hurt his trade interest, as Scotto noted that league sources said Dallas and "other teams around the league have called to inquire about" acquiring him.
Davis has been hindered by calf and groin injuries this season, but he's still one of the top two-way big men in the league with averages of 20.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.7 blocks. Despite his ongoing involvement in trade speculation, ESPN's Tim MacMahon reported that Davis' "preference would be to stay in Dallas and to get that extension this summer."
Time is running out for the Mavs to secure a viable trade package for Davis, and it sounds like the Hawks' continued hesitance to include top assets could hurt their chances of landing him in a trade before the deadline.
