Anthony Davis is quietly sabotaging the Mavericks' perfect trade

Anthony Davis left the Dallas Mavericks' game against the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night during the first quarter with what was ruled "left lower leg soreness," and didn't return. Davis was previously listed as probable for this game with bilateral Achilles tendinopathy, and his injuries are quietly keeping the Mavericks from making a needed trade to add some guard depth or a shot creator.

Dallas' offense has been their Achilles heel this season, as they are the 29th-ranked offense in the NBA with a 103.5 offensive rating. They have to find a way to get some more shot creation on the roster with their insistence on running the double-big starting lineup (when they're fully healthy), and the best way to do this may be by trading Daniel Gafford.

Gafford signed a three-year contract extension this offseason and has been excellent for Dallas when he's on the floor, but he may be the perfect trade asset for Nico Harrison to shop to get some more guard or wing depth.

Dallas can't risk a trade while Anthony Davis stays unpredictable

Gafford's production, combined with his team-friendly contract (a bit over $18 million per season), makes him someone that any team would love to have for years to come, and since the Mavericks already have Davis and Dereck Lively II, it wouldn't be a bad idea to move him and balance their roster a bit more.

Three of Dallas' top players are centers, and their need for an offensive pop is clear. They can't afford to have two of their top players on the bench during crunch time (assuming Davis plays the five to close most games), and a trade may be the best way to properly manage their assets.

Unfortunately, the Mavericks' center group struggles to stay healthy, and this partially falls onto Davis' shoulders. He has only played 14 regular-season games as a Maverick since he got traded to Dallas on February 1, and his availability concerns may be forcing the Mavericks to hold onto Gafford.

Davis always seems to be dealing with some sort of injury, and they can't afford to trade Gafford right now, considering that Lively II and Davis are constantly in and out of the lineup. Despite the early concern surrounding Davis' left leg injury on Wednesday night, Jason Kidd did say that he tried to return to the game, but they didn't want to risk anything.

If this is true, then there isn't as much to worry about, but Mavericks fans won't forget that Davis shut down concern surrounding his adductor injury that he suffered in his first game with the Mavericks just to miss the next 18 games, and we should know more about his future availibility over the next few days.

The Mavericks are extremely deep at the center position, which would make it make sense for them to consider moving Gafford to help give their offense a boost, but Davis' unreliability can't be overlooked. Dallas needs to keep both Lively II and Gafford around if Davis is going to be in and out of the lineup this season, and the fear in the back of their heads about this could force them to stand pat with their frontcourt room.