Brutal Mavericks truth makes an Anthony Davis trade unavoidable

Anthony Davis' Dallas Mavericks tenure simply hasn't been the best, and there are two stats to compare Cooper Flagg to that show how brutal Davis' Mavericks journey has been since being traded by the Los Angeles Lakers back in February.

Saying these stats with December arriving tomorrow would've been insane to think about at the time of both the Mavericks-Lakers trade and the night Flagg was drafted, but they are reality with games played and minutes played.

Anthony Davis' availability has been a nightmare in Dallas

Since being traded to Dallas last season, Davis has played 15 games as a Maverick. Combined, Davis has played 443 minutes. Meanwhile, Flagg has played 20 games this season as a rookie and 717 minutes.

The fact that Flagg has played more minutes and games as a Maverick than Davis has is insane to think about, considering their arrival when they first joined the Mavericks. Davis was acquired this past February in the Luka Doncic trade, and Flagg was drafted first overall by the Mavericks this past June. The two stats also show why Davis needs to be traded by the Mavericks this season.

Health has been an obvious issue for Davis that seems like it will never go away. Davis has sustained numerous injuries throughout his NBA career at 32 years old. Davis has proven in his career that he can be one of the top players in the NBA when he is at his best, but his health is always a concern and has held him back from consistent domination.

Flagg being fully healthy this season is already a big positive for the Mavericks. So far, Flagg has missed just one game due to illness and has battled through a thumb and shoulder injury.

Davis has been in many trade rumors since Nico Harrison was fired as general manager earlier this month. Now, it might be just a matter of time before the Mavericks decide to trade Davis. Even with injuries, the Mavericks can still get a big return in a trade in exchange for Davis if they can find the right match.

Nearly three weeks ago, Bleacher Report projected the Mavericks would get a big haul in return for Davis from the Detroit Pistons. The trade projection made was that Detroit would include four draft picks (two first-round picks and two second-round draft picks), Tobias Harris, Jaden Ivey, and Isaiah Stewart in exchange for Davis.

Time will tell when the Mavericks decide to trade away Davis. However, when comparing games played and minutes played with Flagg since he was drafted, it shows that Davis' injury history is one the Mavericks don't need to have around.

Swapping Doncic for Davis was always destined to turn into a disaster, and with Davis' struggles to stay on the floor, Dallas should send him elsewhere as soon as they can.