Mavericks' Anthony Davis trade plan spirals out of control after every game

The Dallas Mavericks are expected to trade Anthony Davis this season after firing Nico Harrison last week, but it gets harder to trade him every single game that he misses with his current calf strain. According to NBA insider Marc Stein, teams from around the league want to see Davis remain healthy (subscription required) and put together a solid stretch of basketball before giving up considerable assets to acquire him. But that may be easier said than done, considering that Davis has been out of the lineup for most of the season.

"The general consensus leaguewide is that Davis is going to have to put together a sustained stretch of productive basketball in December and January to generate the sort of trade interest Dallas would be hoping for after starting the season with Davis as a projected centerpiece," Stein reported.

This season has been a nightmare for Dallas when it comes to injuries, and outside of Kyrie Irving being out after tearing his ACL in March, Davis has been the most notable Maverick who has been out of the lineup.

Anthony Davis must get healthy and prove himself to get traded

Davis got injured in the first quarter of the fifth game of the season when he strained his left calf, and despite Jason Kidd saying that Davis tried to return in this game, he has been out ever since. He has missed the last 10 games with this injury, and with his re-evaluation being set for some point between next Sunday and Wednesday, he is likely set to miss another four games at a minimum.

This is awful news for Dallas, especially since they may trade him this season, and every game that he misses complicates their future plans even more.

If Davis had been healthy and productive all season, trading him likely would've been a breeze. Teams are always looking for frontcourt depth, and with Davis being one of the best defenders in the NBA, he would've been a hot commodity among contenders that need rim protection and size.

Unfortunately for the Mavericks, it has been the contrary, and his play once he returns from injury is what will make or break his potential trade return.

As Stein reported, teams want him to prove that he can still be one of the league's best bigs before making a move for him, and Dallas has this to worry about, along with him remaining on the court.

The Mavericks are being extra cautious with his recovery, as Patrick Dumont has joined the decision-making process with his return. Dallas isn't going to clear him to play unless there is clear proof that he isn't at risk of getting re-injured, and then it'll be full steam ahead for Davis.

He'll likely start back on a minutes restriction, and the Mavericks desperately need him to remain on the floor and produce if they'd like to spark the Cooper Flagg era and acquire some young talent and draft capital for Davis. This seems like the best route forward to adequately build around Flagg, but trading Davis won't be as easy as anyone expects.

He is in year one of a three-year, $175 million extension, and no team will be comfortable paying him that if he can't prove that he can stay healthy. Injuries continue to be Davis' weakness in his 14th season in the association, and as things stand now, his availability may end up being the biggest roadblock to Dallas pulling off a blockbuster trade with him at the center of it.