The Dallas Mavericks hanging onto oft-injured and soon-to-be-33-year-old Anthony Davis, scratching and clawing for a play-in spot they might not even get and ending up with a 2026 draft pick in the middle of the first round?
Or trading Davis, deciding there’s no reason to bring Kyrie Irving back, tanking a little bit and giving themselves a chance to add AJ Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer or Darryn Peterson to Cooper Flagg?
When you look at the two options side-by-side, choosing the former almost seems unconscionable. And although we saw the Mavs do the unconscionable just one short year ago, the author of the Luka Dončić trade is gone.
The motivation now should be getting out of the crater that deal created. The basketball gods blessed Dallas with plenty of rope to climb by sending Flagg their way, but it needs to follow up his selection with forward-thinking moves.
And to that end, the front office will, at the very least, canvas the league for any potential takers for AD. But, following his hand injury and in consideration of the issues outlined in the Hawks’ slide (AD’s age, lack of durability and desire for an extension), the Mavs won’t find a reasonable deal before the deadline.
Michael Scotto reported on the only exit ramp that might be left: “…several NBA executives who spoke with HoopsHype predict he’ll remain in Dallas past the trade deadline due to his decreased trade value, unless the Mavericks essentially want to salary dump him.”
That feels increasingly possible, but the likelier outcome is the Mavericks revisiting suitors in the offseason, when there are a few more teams disappointed by early playoff exits and a few more months between this hand injury and negotiations with those suitors.