Updated NBA Rumors on Anthony Davis, Bucks After Hawks Trade Trae Young to Wizards

Despite links to the Atlanta Hawks, there is reportedly a belief within the NBA that the Dallas Mavericks may not trade star big man Anthony Davis ahead of the Feb. 5 trade deadline.

According to ESPN's Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst, there has been "discussion" between the Mavs and Hawks about Davis, but the talks are not active, and the Hawks "don't appear to be in a hurry" to make another splashy trade.

Yahoo Sports' Kelly Iko reported Friday that the Hawks "have been enamored" with Davis "for a while."

TSN's Josh Lewenberg also reported that the Toronto Raptors have expressed "exploratory interest" in Davis, but it may prove too difficult to make the salaries even in a potential trade (beginning at the 25-second mark):

Bontemps and Windhorst added that Davis has a "tepid" market due to a combination of factors, including the $58 million he is due next season to go along with a $62 million player option for 2027-28.

According to The Athletic's Sam Amick, the Bucks "registered interest" in Davis but "it appears there's no realistic pathway to a deal there."

An anonymous Eastern Conference executive suggested to Bontemps and Windhorst that it would make the most sense for Dallas to keep AD until at least the summer, saying, "I don't understand why they wouldn't just keep him. Just let things play out, get to the summer time when it's easier to make this kind of move anyway, and see where things stand."

Meanwhile, an anonymous Eastern Conference scout expressed their belief that the Mavericks may take a wait-and-see approach as well, saying, "[Dallas] ownership wants to see those guys play together before they do anything, and until they do that I don't think they'll rush into doing anything. … I'm not optimistic it's anywhere close to where they hope his value is."

At 14-24, the Mavericks are 11th in the Western Conference, and they trail the Memphis Grizzlies by 2.5 games for the final spot in the postseason play-in tournament.

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Rookie No. 1 overall draft pick Cooper Flagg has been as good as advertised for Dallas, but the supporting cast has left plenty to be desired.

Davis has missed time due to various injuries, Klay Thompson has been a shell of his former self, and Kyrie Irving has yet to play this season after tearing his ACL last season.

However, it is fair to wonder if the Mavs have a chance to make a run in the play-in tournament if they can get their entire core on the court together.

If Davis does get dealt, the Hawks stand out as a logical landing spot since they are fighting for their playoff lives. At 18-21, they currently hold the No. 9 seed in the Eastern Conference.

Atlanta made a big move this week, shipping four-time All-Star guard and former franchise player Trae Young to the Washington Wizards for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert.

The Hawks likely have the assets needed to make a trade happen, plus they have a strong core already in place, led by Jalen Johnson, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels and Kristaps Porziņģis.

A healthy Davis could perhaps help the Hawks get over the hump and into the playoffs, but they may be more interested in building for next season and beyond given that they own the 2026 first-round pick of the New Orleans Pelicans, who have the second-worst record in the NBA.