Concerning Anthony Davis trade rumor has a telling Mavericks twist

Dallas Mavericks fans have been up in arms regarding the Atlanta Hawks' refusal to part with any valuable assets in a potential Anthony Davis trade despite their reported interest over the last few weeks. The Hawks are in desperate need of a shakeup, as they are 17-21 on the year despite getting off to a 9-5 start, and Davis is the exact type of player who could provide them with the boost they need.

It also sounds like Trae Young will be on the move very soon, potentially to the Washington Wizards, and this should speed up the Mavericks-Hawks trade talks with less than a month to go until the February 5 trade deadline.

It was reported that Atlanta isn't interested in trading Zaccharie Risacher in a deal for Davis despite Dallas' rumored interest, and their coveted 2026 first-round pick seems untouchable at this point.

There's still hope for Dallas to trade for one of the Hawks' prized assets

The Hawks have seemed like the most likely trade destination for Davis, but the fact that they don't want to trade Risacher or that draft pick makes things hard on the Mavericks. Why would Dallas trade Davis to Atlanta if they don't get any value back in return?

It's clear that Davis and his camp would be fine with a trade to the Hawks, but that doesn't mean they can low-ball the Mavericks either. Davis is still one of the best big men in the NBA when healthy, and Dallas' trade return should be treated as such.

The Pelicans' pick and Risacher are two assets that Mavericks fans crave if Davis gets moved to Atlanta, and a recent report from Michael Scotto of HoopsHype cleared up how the Hawks really feel.

"In trade discussions with the Mavericks regarding Anthony Davis to this point, the Hawks have resisted including former No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher and the Pelicans’ unprotected 2026 first-round draft pick via the Derik Queen trade," Scotto reported.

On first glance, this report seems like nothing new. The Hawks don't want to part with Risacher or New Orleans' 2026 first-round pick. We already knew these things.

But the inclusion of the word "and" is what has Mavericks fans thinking. The Hawks would likely be forced to cough up at least one of these assets if they trade for Davis, and this "and" alludes to Atlanta being willing to give up one of these things, but not the other.

It seems most likely that the Hawks would rather give up Risacher than the Pelicans' pick, but that is still a great sign for the Mavericks. If Atlanta really wants Davis, they're going to have to pay, and Risacher is a valuable asset that Dallas should chase.

Both sides know this, and Dallas could end up with one of the Hawks' prized assets if they play their cards right. And if the Hawks don't want to play ball, the Mavericks can keep Davis for the remainder of the season and wait until the offseason to move on.

Mavericks fans may have been discouraged intially about this update from Scotto about Risacher and New Orleans' first-round pick, but context is key. This report was indicating that the Hawks aren't willing to surrender both of those assets in a deal with Dallas, and the Mavericks could end up shocking the world and landing at least one of them.