Following the firing of Nico Harrison, there is widespread speculation throughout the league. The Dallas Mavericks are rumored to be open to trade offers for Anthony Davis, provided the All-NBA big man maintains his health. Essentially, the team appears ready to shift focus and rebuild around young talent Cooper Flagg.
However, this might not be the case. Despite the rumors surrounding Davis’s future, Mavericks minority owner Mark Cuban told The Athletic’s Joe Burden that there are currently no plans to trade Davis.
“We won’t. We want to try to win,” Cuban communicated via email to Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont when asked about signing Davis.
Yet, according to sources NBC Sports spoke with, other teams expect Dallas to test the trade market. ESPN’s Tim McMahon also reported that the Mavericks will explore trade possibilities for Davis. There are three key points to consider about Cuban’s remarks:
1) This is the standard response from a front office or owner trying to maintain negotiation leverage when a trade is a possibility. Take Cuban’s words with a grain of salt.
2) Cuban’s actual influence in the Mavericks’ front office is uncertain. Officially, he serves as an advisor to team governor Patrick Dumont, who holds the final decision-making power. Currently, two interim general managers—Michael Finley and Matt Ricciardi—are running basketball operations as the team searches for Harrison’s permanent replacement. Several ESPN reports focus on Cuban’s efforts to regain control in basketball operations.
3) Dallas kept Davis, checking how well he functions with the team, alongside a healthy Kyrie Irving and Cooper Flagg. The team entered this season believing they had a playoff-worthy roster, but injuries derailed those plans. Irving is recovering from a torn ACL and may return this season, though no definitive timetable exists. Flagg has shown potential as a rookie despite some early struggles playing out of position.
The situation gets complicated because Dallas controls its 2026 first-round draft pick but not those from 2027 to 2030. The Mavericks have started 4-11 in the tough Western Conference and face ongoing challenges. Davis is sidelined with a calf strain for approximately another week. The team clearly needs a point guard, and Irving’s return date remains unclear as he carefully recovers. Currently, Dallas is 13th in the West, trailing 5.5 games behind the top six. While making the play-in tournament might still be possible, how competitive are they? Is it worth waiting to find out?
This has led to speculation that Dallas might trade Davis—and possibly Irving in the offseason—rebuild around Flagg and other young players like Derek Lively II, and aim to secure a high draft pick to complement Flagg.
But, ultimately, the direction the Mavericks take depends on their ownership’s decision. Just ask Mark Cuban.
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Fan Take: This news is crucial for basketball fans because it highlights a pivotal moment for a franchise balancing between immediate competitiveness and long-term rebuilding. The Mavericks’ choices could shape not only their future but also impact the dynamics of the Western Conference and the league’s power balance in the coming years.
