Anthony Davis’s Trade Future in Doubt: What’s Really Holding Up a Deal?

Mark Cuban’s declaration that the Dallas Mavericks won’t trade Anthony Davis because “we want to win” feels like a firm stance — yet whispers around the league suggest the front office, interim or otherwise, might at least dip a toe into the trade waters for AD. Reality check? The market simply isn’t buzzing with suitors, as ESPN’s Tim Bontemps revealed on the Hoop Collective Podcast. Teams aren’t exactly lining up, wary of the hefty $63 million price tag on a 35-year-old star who’s expected to opt into his player option. Davis, 32, might reconsider for a longer haul, but any trade partner would need deep pockets and patience.

Here’s the kicker: before any real talks start, Davis has to prove he can stay on the floor, healthy, and then deliver consistent performances. His brief season snapshot — 20.8 points and 10.2 boards per game on 52% shooting — shows promise, but that jump shot still wobbles. Dallas is hunting a sizeable return here, but with the team’s salary cap constraints, finding that perfect trade match won’t be easy. The pool of potential takers? Shrinking fast. It’s a high-stakes chess game for the Mavs, balancing hope, health, and hard realities. LEARN MORE

Despite Mark Cuban saying Dallas was not going to trade Anthony Davis because “we want to win,” the expectation around the league is that the Mavericks’ front office — whether the current, interim general managers or the person who gets the job full-time — will at least explore the trade market for AD.

Except, there’s not that much of a market, ESPN’s Tim Bontemps said on the Hoop Collective Podcast.

“The idea of trading Anthony Davis has everyone trained to think, well, they’re gonna get three firsts, two swaps, they’re gonna get two young players and they’re gonna get all this stuff. I shouldn’t say it’s not gonna happen… but, you talk to people in the league, there’s not a lot of teams that are lining up to take on a 35-year-old Anthony Davis making $63 million, and you have to assume that he’s gonna opt into that deal.”

Davis, 32, has a $62.8 million player option for next season. He might be willing to opt out of that year as part of a longer, more lucrative contract extension, but either way, a team that trades for him is taking on an expensive player.

Before any discussion of Anthony Davis trades gets serious, he gets back on the court healthy and plays an extended period for Dallas, league sources have told NBC Sports.

Once on the court, how Davis plays will have an impact on any offers that come in, and Dallas is going to be looking for a bigger return than may be available, as Bontemps notes. In the five games he has played this season, Avis averaged 20.8 points and 10.2 rebounds a game, shooting 52% from the floor overall but continuing to not show a consistent jump shot.

Maybe the way he plays will pique interest in the 10-time All-Star, but Dallas has to find a team willing to take on all that money (with the Mavericks up against the second apron and not able to take back more money than they send out) and send out a package that can help the Mavericks save face. That is going to be a very small pool of teams.