ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Tuesday that the Detroit Pistons, Atlanta Hawks, and Toronto Raptors are expected to be among the suitors for Dallas Mavericks star forward Anthony Davis at this season’s trade deadline.
Pistons Seem Content With Current Roster
The Pistons currently sit at the top of the Eastern Conference standings with a 19-5 record.
It’s not like the team needs an aging superstar. There’s also no telling how many games Davis would be able to play if Detroit added the oft-injured 6-foot-10 wing.
“And not to pour cold water on someone else’s work, but I’m going to say right now — I find the Pistons to be an incredibly unlikely landing spot for Anthony Davis,” NBA insider Jake Fischer reported Tuesday.
“We talked about this with Lauri Markkanen a couple weeks ago. The fact is: the Pistons are near the top of the Eastern Conference standings, and they have tradable salary pieces like Tobias Harris, Caris LeVert, and Duncan Robinson…”
What’s more, a source close to the Pistons told Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press on Thursday that the NBA franchise hasn’t had discussions with the Mavericks regarding a potential trade for Davis.
The Pistons seem unwilling to trade valuable role players for an unreliable star. Who could blame them? It’s a team that hasn’t won a playoff series since 2008, and Detroit could have something special right now.
Anthony Davis Has Struggled To Stay Healthy
Davis arrived in Dallas last season as the centerpiece in the blockbuster Luka Doncic trade. The 32-year-old, however, was limited to only nine regular-season games with the Mavs due to an abdominal injury.
During the offseason, Davis also underwent a procedure to repair a detached retina that he suffered near the end of 2024-25. He sustained his right eye injury in Dallas’ 120-118 win over the Hawks on April 2.
Davis then missed 14 consecutive games this season due to a left calf strain.
Per Spotrac, Davis is currently in the first year of the three-year, $175.36 million max contract extension he signed with the Los Angeles Lakers in August 2023. His deal includes a $62.78 million player option for 2027-28.
The Pistons are less likely to take a risk on such a player. His age, extensive injury history, and large contract are huge turnoffs to teams. It can do more harm than good for a playoff contender.
Just look at how the Mavs have struggled since the Doncic trade.
Through 10 appearances (all starts) this season, Davis is averaging 19.6 points, 10.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.2 steals, 1.6 blocks, and 29.3 minutes per contest while shooting 52.3% from the field and 69% from the foul line.
