The future of Anthony Davis with the Dallas Mavericks has turned murky after general manager Nico Harrison was fired on Tuesday. Davis is currently recovering from a low-grade calf strain and has missed the last six games.
With Harrison gone in Dallas, the Mavericks ownership could look into trading Davis to get the best return they could get and start rebuilding around Cooper Flagg. NBA analyst and insider Zach Lowe suggested multiple trade destinations for Davis, including the Los Angeles Clippers, on his podcast.
Mavericks receive: John Collins, Bogdan Bogdanovic and Brook Lopez or Derrick Jones Jr.
Clippers receive: Anthony Davis
“The Clippers, who are also hard capped at the first apron and not that far under it, which makes the math very difficult. Well, you’d have to build it around Collins, Bogdanovic, Brook Lopez or Derrick Jones Jr. as the third guy… And even that comes up a little short of how much the Clippers would need to send out to stay clear of the first apron. I don’t know that you’re getting like three unprotected first-round picks,” Lowe said, via BasketNews.
It’s a gamble for the Clippers since they already have a similarly injury-prone player in Kawhi Leonard on their roster. On paper and if healthy, a roster featuring, Davis, Leonard and James Harden is a formidable team.
As for the Mavericks, it gives them cap flexibility next season if they go with the Collins-Bogdanovic-Lopez package. Collins is on an expiring deal, while the other two players have team options for next season.
Davis’ Future in Dallas
If he’s healthy, there’s no doubt that Anthony Davis is one of the best players in the NBA. However, he has not been durable for the majority of his career. He has only played 14 games since the Dallas Mavericks acquired him from the Los Angeles Lakers in the shocking Luka Doncic trade.
According to Marc Stein of The Stein Line, Davis’ agent and Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul has established a relationship with team governor Patrick Dumont. They seemingly have had an understanding ever since AD arrived in Texas last February.
While all signs point to Davis being available for trade, NBC Sports’ NBA insider Grant Liffmann reported that some teams are expecting the Mavericks to “stand pat” for now. The franchise wants to see how the team would perform with a healthy AD and Kyrie Irving.
Update on Davis’ Calf Injury
Since arriving in Dallas back in February, Anthony Davis has only suited up for a total of 14 regular season games for the Mavericks. Davis suffered a low-grade calf sprain in just the fifth game of the season. He was initially expected to miss just two games, but he’s likely to miss his seventh game in a row on Wednesday night against the Phoenix Suns.
In a collective effort by Joe Vardon, Christian Clark and Sam Amick of The Athletic, sources within the Mavericks organization revealed that Davis wanted to play in the past few games. However, the medical team has urged him to stay patient because his injury could lead to a torn Achilles tendon.
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