The Dallas Mavericks are expected to trade Klay Thompson, D’Angelo Russell, Daniel Gafford, and Anthony Davis before this season’s deadline, but only two of these four players will likely be moved.
Mavericks Will Struggle Trading Davis
Just hours after ESPN’s Tim MacMahon reported that Dallas intends to explore the trade market for Davis this season, Mavs minority owner Mark Cuban told The Athletic’s Joe Vardon that the franchise would not try to trade Davis.
“We won’t. We want to try to win,” Cuban said Wednesday in an email when asked if he and Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont would seek a deal for Davis, who was the centerpiece for Dallas in last season’s Luka Doncic trade.
Per MacMahon, Dumont along with co-interim general managers Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi, head coach Jason Kidd, and Cuban are “plotting to pivot” to a future built around this year’s No. 1 overall pick, Cooper Flagg.
Davis, 32, has been linked to multiple teams since the Mavericks parted ways with president of basketball operations and general manager Nico Harrison last week.
In total, Davis has appeared in just 14 of 48 possible regular-season games for the Mavs since that trade deal and is currently sidelined due to a left calf strain.
A team would be rolling the dice on an injury-prone player like Davis.
Mavs Fielding Offers For Thompson, Russell
Following that story on Davis, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Thursday that veteran guard Dante Exum is scheduled to undergo season-ending knee surgery.
Dallas is already dealing with multiple injuries in its backcourt.
Does this mean the Mavs will retain both Thompson and Russell amid Kyrie Irving’s absence? It’s a possible option, considering Irving is not expected to return from his ACL injury until January.
However, NBA executives are still expecting the team to consider offers for Thompson, Russell, and Davis. Amid a 4-12 start to their season, the Mavs need all the help they can get to build around Flagg.
As for Gafford, it remains unclear whether Dallas is planning to move the 6-foot-10 big man.
Despite a disastrous start to the season, the Mavericks are reportedly not listening to trade offers for Gafford, who signed a three-year, $54 million contract extension in the offseason.
Mavs Expected To Keep Gafford
One NBA insider believes a Gafford trade may not happen due to the Mavs’ injury-riddled roster.
“Daniel Gafford is widely regarded as the most tradeable Maverick between now and the Feb. 5 trade deadline in Year 1 of a three-year deal worth $54.4 million, but the injuries that have frequently derailed Davis and Dereck Lively II add a layer of complication even to Gafford’s status,” wrote Marc Stein.
In 57 games (31 starts) with Dallas last season, Gafford averaged a career-high 12.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.9 blocks, and 21.5 minutes per contest while shooting 70.2% from the field and 68.9% from the foul line.
The Mavs want to move Davis because he’s oftentimes injured, but it will be difficult for Dallas to find a team willing to take on his three-year, $175.36 million contract.
For that reason, Thompson and/or Russell could soon be on new teams.
