Just hours after Mark Cuban told The Athletic that the Dallas Mavericks don’t have plans of trading Anthony Davis, NBA insider Shams Charania claimed the front office actually is listening to trade ideas for their star big man.
Now, despite Cuban’s original claim, the Mavericks appear closer to making a full rebuild after the firing of Nico Harrison and struggles for the team to start the year. While it’s fair to say Davis will be sought after by teams around the NBA, Kendrick Perkins recently offered two new trade teams that could target Davis to turn themselves into true contenders.
Speaking on his podcast with Richard Jefferson, Perkins offered up both the Detroit Pistons and Philadelphia 76ers as two franchises that he believes will target Davis on the trade market.
“The Dallas Mavericks have become one of the most embarrassing situations in sports,” Perkins claimed. “If I’m AD, I’m doing everything in my power to get to Philadelphia. ‘Y’all want to trade me, cool.’ I believe Anthony Davis to the 76ers makes all the sense in the world…My sources are also telling me that Detroit has a lot of interest in old Anthony Davis.”
Perkins has a history of bold takes. After the original Luka Doncic-Davis trade with the Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers, he claimed Dallas won the deal. But now, his claims on the current iteration of the team signal a change of heart, which is why he offered the bold trade ideas.
Anthony Davis Trade Idea To Detroit Or Philadelphia
Further detailing his thoughts on a Davis trade to the Sixers, Perkins offered multiple reasons as to why Philadelphia would make a blockbuster move like this.
“We know what they need over there,” he said. “You get AD over there alongside Tyrese Maxey, the 76ers look like a totally different team.”
Yes, trading for Davis when they already have Joel Embiid might be seen as redundant. Both are some of the best big men in the NBA when healthy, but as seen over the past few years, they are both oftentimes not on the court for extended periods of time.
For the Sixers, they’ve had a surprising start to the year with Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Quentin Grimes, and Kelly Oubre, while Embiid has been mostly on the outside, playing limited minutes when he is healthy. A trade for Davis’ monster contract would likely include Paul George or Embiid, along with some young pieces, pointing to Jared McCain potentially being in the move.
However, just an idea, one that if the Sixers front office has learned anything from their past decade, or the injury struggles Dallas is going through currently, could push them off the scent.
Perkins went into further detail on the specifics of what a Pistons move for Davis would look like. The Pistons have the best record in the East with Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren, but have a lot more young pieces and contracts to offer up in a potential trade for Davis.
“Think about Detroit for a second. You got to match the money. You get rid of Tobias Harris, who’s making a lot of money on an expiring contract,” Perkins said. “But as long as you keep Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren, and you bring AD into this club…”
What Do The Dallas Mavericks Do?
Since the Mavericks fired Harrison, Davis has been floated as the top trade candidate for Dallas to move on from. All expectations point to a rebuild around Cooper Flagg. However, besides their star rookie, the Mavs don’t have a lot to work with, especially after the recently reported turmoil within the organization.
“[There] is a little heat over there when it comes to that information about AD being on the chopping block,” Perkins added. “If you’re Anthony Davis, and you’re hearing those rumors, why would you want to stay there. Why would you continue to buy in back in there?”
Davis appears closer to a trade than ever before, despite the star himself not yet commenting on a potential departure. Despite the injury history, the 10-time All-Star remains a top player in the league when healthy, and a possible target for teams around the NBA to go after.
“Sources have told ESPN that the Mavericks will be listening to trade calls for Anthony Davis and seeing and exploring his value,” Charania recently reported. “For that, health will be the biggest key, because not only for the Mavericks to value Anthony Davis over a lengthy period of time, but for other teams that could have interest in him to see what he looks like when he’s back with this team.”
Dallas is in a unique situation, where teams around the league could target their star players, but both have major questions surrounding them. Harrison reportedly didn’t listen to other offers for Doncic, but now, the Mavericks could have a long list of suitors for Davis.
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