5 Teams that might be desperate enough to trade for Anthony Davis

The Anthony Davis sweepstakes just got more interesting, and there are several teams across the league that could end up making a splash for the 10-time All-Star. Teams like the Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls, Detroit Pistons, Toronto Raptors, or even the San Antonio Spurs could make a move for him, and each team has their own intriguing reasons for why they'd make such a move.

Davis is the epitome of a high-risk, high-reward player. The risk? He is prone to incurring baffling injuries at the most inopportune times (e.g., his recent groin injury this past Thursday against Golden State). The reward? You get one of the best two-way players to hit the league in the past 15 years.

Davis is averaging 21.2 points per game and 11.8 rebounds per game while shooting 51.7 percent from the field in December. Proving he’s still very much capable of being a two-way juggernaut when he’s on the floor.

5 Teams that could take Anthony Davis off the Mavericks' hands

 But when do you roll the dice on such an enigma of a player? The Mavs have the option to sign Davis to an extension this offseason or trade him now for assets to help build around franchise cornerstone Cooper Flagg. Decisions Decisions…

The Eastern Conference seems to be the more likely destination if Davis is traded because the opportunity to make an NBA Finals run is there for the taking.

Season-ending injuries to stars like Jason Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton have left the Eastern road to the NBA Finals wide open. Teams in the East are salivating at the chance to capitalize on their absence. Here are some teams that might be on the market for Davis’s special set of skills in the near future.

5. Atlanta Hawks

The Atlanta Hawks are fighting to stay in playoff and play-in contention in the Eastern Conference and are actively looking to bolster their depth in the frontcourt. Kristaps Porzingis has continued to have health issues, and the Hawks could use Porzingis’s $30.7 million expiring contract as the centerpiece of the deal, along with some draft capital to sweeten the pot for Dallas.

Zaccharie Risacher has also been linked to the Mavericks, and it seems likely that he'd be part of a potential deal between the two teams. Atlanta has shown real interest in Davis, and the smoke there is starting to pick up.,

4. Chicago Bulls

The Chicago Bulls provide the hometown hero angle, being that Davis is actually from Chicago and would provide immediate help to their struggling interior defense and subpar rim protection. The Bulls have had internal discussions about bringing Davis home.

The Bulls already have three players on their roster who grew up in the Chicago area and are keen to build on that hometown goodwill. However, they are not inclined to sacrifice any of their young core to make a deal happen unless they become more competitive in the standings.

3. Detroit Pistons

The Detroit Pistons might make the most sense on paper because they already sit atop the Eastern Conference standings and were linked to Davis earlier this season.

Adding Davis could put them over the top if they don’t have to sacrifice their young core to get him. That could be a tricky endeavor. But Davis's veteran presence could be the perfect ingredient for a Detroit team that looks poised to contend for at least the next 5 years.

Dallas could ask for Ron Holland and Jaden Ivey as part of this deal, and it would be a home run for the Mavs if they could get their hands on both of those youngsters.

2. Toronto Raptors

The Toronto Raptors are a dark horse in the race for Davis, and they seemed like the frontrunner to land him at one point.

They all of a sudden find themselves looking to make changes. After going 12-3 in November, the Raptors are in a free fall, with a 3-7 record in their last 10 games. Their big man, Jakob Poeltl, has back issues that are starting to limit his effectiveness, and the Raptors could use Davis’ versatility to add a much-needed punch on offense and defense.

Adding a player like RJ Barrett to the deal would help Toronto match Davis’s salary while at the same time giving Flagg a talented young wing to play with, potentially for the long term. Dallas could also use Poeltl as big man insurance during the current Derek Lively II injury saga.

1. San Antonio Spurs

However, the most beneficial trade for Dallas might be in its own backyard of Texas. The San Antonio Spurs offer a unique opportunity.

The Spurs want to win as quickly as possible (but aren't desperate by any means), and Davis would be a great fit alongside De’Aaron Fox and Victor Wembanyama. San Antonio has a glut of talented young players they could offer along with draft picks that would immediately help Dallas build now.

But the real diamond is that the Spurs could sweeten the pot by offering to extinguish the dreaded 2030 first-round swap rights deal Dallas made from the infamous Grant Williams sign-and-trade. The Mavs would love to regain control of that draft pick while also continuing to surround Flagg with a talented core.

Dallas has some big decisions to make before the upcoming February 5 trade deadline. Whatever they decide to do will have lasting consequences, and some team from around the league may finally allow them to end the Anthony Davis experiment and move on.