Anthony Davis Rumors Reveal Latest Trade, Mavs Contract Buzz Ahead of NBA Deadline

Star big man Anthony Davis reportedly continues to be the subject of trade discussions for the Dallas Mavericks, but a deal prior to the Feb. 5 trade deadline isn't necessarily a sure thing.

According to Christian Clark and Sam Amick of The Athletic, the Mavs are expected to continue listening to offers for AD, but the organization "doesn't feel like it must deal Davis before the deadline."

At the same time, Davis' representatives do not expect their client and the Mavericks to come to terms on a contract extension during the offseason, so "there is a strong desire from Davis' camp to get him traded to a destination where they feel an extension would be more likely."

Clark and Amick added that there is a belief among some in the NBA that the Mavs may not be able to get fair value for Davis in a pre-deadline trade, which could compel them to wait until the summer before re-engaging.

However, due to how wide open the Eastern Conference is, a high-level league source told Clark and Amick, "Every team in the East believes they're an Anthony Davis away from making the [NBA] Finals."

As a result, Davis is being linked to multiple Eastern Conference teams, including the Toronto Raptors, Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Bucks. The Golden State Warriors have reportedly also expressed interest in AD.

Per Clark and Amick, Davis is believed to be "amenable" to a trade that would send him to Toronto or Atlanta.

Meanwhile, Golden State is reportedly still believed to be a possible landing spot for Davis, although it is considered "unlikely" that the Bucks will be able to pull off a deal for AD.

Since trading Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers for a package headlined by Davis last season, the Mavs have never truly recovered.

They failed to reach the playoffs last season, and with a record of 14-23, they are currently 11th in the Western Conference. Dallas is 2.5 games behind the Memphis Grizzlies for the 10th seed, meaning they have a lot of work to do just to make the postseason play-in tournament.

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Perhaps keeping together the core of Davis, 2025 No. 1 overall draft pick Cooper Flagg, Klay Thompson, P.J. Washington and Naji Marshall, coupled with the eventual return of star guard Kyrie Irving from a torn ACL suffered last season, could get Dallas back in the playoff mix.

Even if that happens, it is fair to wonder if the Mavs would have any chance to compete with the Western Conference's elite teams, such as the Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets and Minnesota Timberwolves.

If that isn't in the cards, then there could be value in trading Davis as soon as possible and getting some much-needed capital for the 2026 NBA draft.

At the same time, the 32-year-old Davis is a 10-time All-Star and highly valuable commodity, averaging 20.3 points, 11.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.7 blocks and 1.1 steals per game this season.

Because of that, the Mavericks would be wise to hold out and get the best trade package possible in return for AD, which may require them to wait until the offseason.