Latest Anthony Davis Trade Rumors on Potential Timeline for Mavs Deal amid Hand Injury
Amid Anthony Davis' recovery from a hand injury and the trade rumors surrounding him, NBA league sources reportedly believe the Dallas Mavericks would be wise to hold off on trading him.
According to ESPN's Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst, several sources called holding onto AD past the Feb. 5 trade deadline and re-exploring a trade in the summer Dallas' best course of action, and an anonymous Eastern Conference executive added, "This should allow them to sit back and be patient and see what happens."
Michael Scotto of HoopsHype also reported Friday that "several" NBA executives expect Davis to remain with the Mavericks past the deadline "unless the Mavericks essentially want to salary dump him."
With the Mavs struggling to a 16-26 start, Davis has been among the most prominent names believed to be on the trade block, but a recent injury complicated matters.
While it was initially reported by ESPN's Shams Charania that Davis was dealing with ligament damage in his hand that would require surgery and keep him on the shelf for months, the Mavericks announced this week that AD does not need surgery and is expected to miss about six weeks.
Given the timeline, Bontemps and Windhorst noted that "multiple rival executives" are intrigued by the idea of acquiring Davis and having him back for the stretch run and the playoffs.
That could potentially pit contenders against each other and drive Davis' trade value up, but there are also benefits to waiting until the offseason, as teams may be even more willing to make a big move at that point.
Per Charania, the Atlanta Hawks and Toronto Raptors are two teams that have been linked to Davis thus far.
Davis, 32, is one of the best big men of his generation, earning 10 All-Star nods, five All-NBA selections, five NBA All-Defensive selections, three block titles and one NBA championship.
Injuries have been Davis' biggest detriment over the years, and they have limited him to just 20 games this season.
However, he has remained highly productive when on the court, averaging 20.4 points, 11.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.7 blocks and 1.1 steals per game this season, while shooting 50.6 percent from the field.
A healthy Davis could be a huge difference-maker for a contending team come playoff time, but whether he truly becomes available depends on when and how the Mavs believe they can get the most value in return for him.
