The Athletic has live coverage of the 2026 NBA trade deadline. 

The Luka Dončić trade turned 1 year old on Monday.

Shortly before midnight Central Time on Feb. 1, 2025, word started to leak that the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers planned something seismic. The deal — Dončić for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a first-round pick — became official the next day.

Dončić is currently leading the NBA in scoring during his first full season in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, Davis’ time in Dallas has been something of a disappointment. He has played in 29 games but has missed 53 outings. The Mavericks have been exploring Davis’ trade market for weeks, but a left hand injury that has sidelined him since Jan. 8 has complicated Dallas’ efforts in finding him a new home.

Ahead of Thursday’s NBA trade deadline, it remains unlikely the Mavericks will move on from Davis. League sources The Athletic spoke with have expressed concern about Davis exercising his $62.7 million player option for the 2027-28 season, when he will be 34 years old. Some prominent voices in the NBA have also expressed incredulity about Davis’ Klutch Sports representatives desiring a contract extension for him while he underperforms during his current deal.

The Atlanta Hawks are one team in need of frontcourt help. They have significant expiring salary to send out and multiple first-round picks in the upcoming draft, but as of Monday afternoon, one league source told The Athletic there were no active discussions between Dallas and Atlanta.

The Toronto Raptors are another team that could be looking to upgrade at center. Jakob Poeltl has played in one game since Dec. 18 because of a back injury. Unlike the Hawks, the Raptors don’t have large expiring contracts to deal.

Dallas, which has the fourth-highest payroll in the NBA, is unlikely to take back long-term contracts unless it also receives meaningful draft compensation in return, a league source said.

The Mavericks have a lot of work to do as they try to reset around No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg. Dallas (19-30, 12th in the Western Conference standings) owes $32 million in luxury taxes this season, unless it can clear money from its books before Thursday. The Mavericks also have full control of only two first-round picks between now and 2031 — their own 2026 first and a 2029 first that originally belonged to the Lakers — and don’t own any second-round picks whatsoever until 2030.

Mavericks forward Naji Marshall, who is averaging a career-high 14.6 points per game this season, is one of Dallas’ most-coveted players. However, it’s The Athletic’s understanding that the Mavericks are reluctant to part ways with Marshall, whose availability, competitiveness and slashing ability is greatly valued.

Center Daniel Gafford is another trade candidate. The Mavericks acquired Gafford at the trade deadline in 2024, and he played an important role in the team’s run to the NBA Finals later that year. His numbers this season, however, have declined without a reliable pick-and-roll partner on the roster to serve him lobs. He’s also battled a nagging right ankle sprain.

Multiple NBA sources point toward Gafford’s track record of availability — he’s on pace to play in fewer than 60 games for the fourth time in seven years — and wonder if he can physically hold up as a starter over an 82-game season.

Klay Thompson, brought in to complement Dončić and the injured Kyrie Irving, is a player the Mavericks will listen to offers about. Thompson remains a knock-down 3-point shooter and a well-respected voice in Dallas’ locker room who has one more year remaining on his contract after this season at $17.5 million.

Lastly, the Mavericks would love to be able to shed D’Angelo Russell’s contract. Coach Jason Kidd never envisioned Russell fitting with Dallas the way the team’s front office did. Russell played a total of 19 minutes in the month of January. Both Brandon Williams and Ryan Nembhard have supplanted him in the rotation.

Russell holds a $6 million player option for next season, meaning that it’d be difficult to imagine the Mavericks being able to move him without including some sort of sweetener.