Anthony Davis trade dilemma is forcing Mavericks into a brutal choice

As questions swirl around Anthony Davis' future with the Dallas Mavericks, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported on Friday that he spoke with "several" NBA executives who believe that the 32-year-old will remain with the team past the deadline, unless they choose to dump his salary. Just when you thought the Luka Dončić trade couldn't look worse.

There were only a couple of teams interested in AD before his latest injury — the Hawks and Raptors, as Scotto noted. That interest would've entirely dissolved if he had to undergo surgery on his hand, but even though the Mavericks expect Davis to miss about six weeks, that does nothing to help his trade value.

Regardless of when he returns or not, it won't happen before the trade deadline, which is less than three weeks away. And when AD does return, there is, of course, no guarantee that he'll stay on the floor, as Dallas fans know too well after the past year. It's also worth noting that there is no guarantee he will return at all, as you never know what can happen.

Davis' injury concerns aren't the only reason why teams should be hesitant to trade for him, as he's making $54.1 million this season. He'll make $58.5 million in 2026-27, and has a $62.8 million player option for 2027-28. Oh, and he will be eligible to sign an extension this summer, which is clearly the outcome he (and Rich Paul) want.

Execs believe Mavs will keep AD past deadline or move him in salary dump

It's no secret that Patrick Dumont wanted to see Davis play alongside Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving before deciding on the big man's future. However, as Scotto wrote, there "is no logical urgency" for Dallas to rush the point guard back this season as he recovers from a torn ACL.

Dumont should've realized that there was no logical reason to keep AD around, and that was before he got injured. Unfortunately, you can't count on Davis to stay healthy for long, at least long enough for Irving to return.

Clearly, Dumont finally understood why the Dončić trade was detrimental, as Dallas fired Nico Harrison in November. What the Mavericks need to understand now is that it will be practically impossible to "win" an AD trade. There is no winning in this scenario, dating back to last February.

The damage was already done, and Dallas can't change that. It's time to end it, though, with whatever it is the Mavericks can get in return.