The Dallas Mavericks are currently 10-17 and sit in fourth place in the Southwest Division. Likely looking towards the future with F Cooper Flagg leading the charge, some might believe it would make sense for the franchise to acquire young assets.
And a good way toget young studs is to trade an old one.
A near-generational talent until injuries dinged his trajectory, F Anthony Davis was the centerpiece of the return from the shocking blockbuster trade that sent G Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers last season. However, with the Dallas Mavericks nowhere near contending in 2025-26, the trade rumors surrounding the star big man continue to rise to the surface less than a year later.
Earlier this month, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Davis is a player who will be a trade target for teams like Detroit Pistons, Atlanta Hawks, and Toronto Raptors.
Davis, who has been battling a calf injury this season (surprise, surprise), is averaging 20.0 points and 10.5 rebounds in 11 games. The veteran big has scored at least 24 points in each of his last two games.
Here are some Anthony Davis trade rumors that could make sense for both the 32-year-old and Mavericks.
Anthony Davis Trade Rumors
Below are three Davis mock trades that could shift the balance of power in the NBA this season.
(All transactions are approved by the ESPN NBA Trade Machine.)
Trade No. 1: Davis to the Pistons
Will the Pistons be Anthony Davis’ next team? (via PrizePicks Team Picks)
- Winner Payout: Yes 6.25x | No 1.09x
Team picks data is live as of publishing and is subject to change.
Pistons Receive:
- Anthony Davis (F)
Mavericks Receive:
- Jaden Ivey (G)
- Tobias Harris (F)
- Ronald Holland II (F)
The Pistons currently sit atop the Eastern Conference with a 21-5 record and have looked like a juggernaut this season. This is a balanced team that excels on both ends of the floor as they average 119.3 points (eighth-most in the NBA) and surrendering just 113.0 points (fifth-fewest) per contest.
Acquiring a post presence like Davis would really improve Detroit on the interior. In a trade such as this, F Tobias Harris would have to be going the other way in order for the salaries to match, and Davis would slide right into his starting spot at power forward. Having a dominant duo of Davis and Jalen Duren down low would be extremely intriguing when it comes to defending the league’s top teams.
From the Mavericks standpoint, they’d receive two polarizing young assets in a pair of former first-round picks in Ivey and Holland. In 11 games, Ivey is averaging 8.0 points and 2.6 rebounds after recently returning from arthroscopic knee surgery. Meanwhile, after playing limited minutes as a rookie in 2024-25, Holland has received more playing time this season as he’s averaged 8.2 points in 20.9 minutes per contest.
Trade No. 2: Davis to the Hawks
Will the Hawks be Anthony Davis’ next team? (via PrizePicks Team Picks)
- Winner Payout: Yes 5.88x | No 1.11x
Team picks data is live as of publishing and is subject to change.
Hawks Receive:
- Anthony Davis (F)
Mavericks Receive:
- Zaccharie Risacher (F)
- Kristaps Porzingis (F)
- 2026 first-round pick (Hawks receive more favorable of Bucks or Pelicans first-round picks)
The Hawks are currently 6.5 games out of the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference with a 15-12 record. Atlanta has been without G Trae Young for all but five games this season as he’s dealing with a MCL sprain.
If the Hawks were able to acquire Davis in such a trade package, F Jalen Johnson would slide down to the wing with Davis playing the power forward position. A combination of Davis and C Onyeka Okongwu on the interior provides an extraordinary level of athleticism for an Atlanta team that could be a contender.
Meanwhile, if the Mavericks were to trade Davis to the Hawks, it wouldn’t be surprising that they’d try to get 2024 No. 1 pick Zaccarie Risacher in any potential deal. Risacher has shown flashes of being a talented wing since entering the league and would be a nice piece to have alongside Flagg in Dallas.
Trade No. 3: Davis to the Raptors
Will the Raptors be Anthony Davis’ next team? (via PrizePicks Team Picks)
- Winner Payout: Yes 6.66x | No 1.08x
Team picks data is live as of publishing and is subject to change.
Raptors Receive:
- Anthony Davis (F)
Mavericks Receive:
- Immanuel Quickley (G)
- Jakob Poeltl ©
- Gradey Dick (G)
According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, the Raptors have expressed an interest in improving their frontcourt as the season moves along.
Davis certainly would go a long way towards filling such a request. The versatile big man would give the Raptors another scoring threat, especially down low, which is something that the team could use more of alongside F Scottie Barnes.
Fischer also reports that the Raptors are hoping to retain Poeltl despite wanting to upgrade their frontcourt. When it comes to this particular trade proposal, Poeltl would likely need to be included in order for the salaries to match. In addition, Poeltl isn’t eligible to be traded until Jan. 7, 2026 because he signed a four-year, $104 million contract extension with the Raptors this past offseason. As a result, any trade involving Poeltl wouldn't happen until closer to the trade deadline.
This trade may be more of a longshot considering that the Raptors may not be willing to give up their starting PG in Quickley, who is averaging 16.5 points and 6.1 assists this season.
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