Mavericks' Anthony Davis trade plans are finally clear

With just over two months until the NBA's trade deadline, all signs are pointing to the Dallas Mavericks trading Anthony Davis. Dallas acquired Davis as part of the Luka Doncic trade back in February, and the Mavericks seem to want to fully pivot to the Cooper Flagg era and move on from Davis this season.

Davis has been in trade whispers for weeks, and even after Mark Cuban claimed that Dallas doesn't want to trade Davis, it seems like the opposite is true. The possibility of the Mavericks trading Davis this season skyrocketed when Nico Harrison was fired earlier this month, and time will tell if Harrison's golden child remains as one of the pillars in Dallas.

In a recent episode of "Howdy Partners," ESPN's Tim MacMahon discussed the Mavericks' plans around Davis' future, and he made it clear that it seems more likely than not that Davis is sporting a different jersey here in a few months.

Why Anthony Davis' time in Dallas is bound to end soon

"Trading AD is a real possibility, and I would even say likelihood, this season," MacMahon reported.

Davis' days in Dallas may be numbered if they do decide to move on from him at some point this season, but it doesn't seem like the same could be said about Kyrie Irving.

Mavericks fans have fallen in love with Irving and his game over the last few years, and they'd like to keep him as a building block alongside Cooper Flagg rather than trade him this season. Combined with the fact that he is beloved in the city and is one of the most skilled players of all time, trading Irving now wouldn't do much for Dallas anyway.

He hasn't played since March, and his value likely isn't very high since he is coming off an ACL tear. It's best to stick with him for now, and unfortunately for Dallas, they're in a tough spot with Davis as well.

He is poised to return from a 14-game absence due to a calf strain tonight against the Los Angeles Lakers, and the next few months will be a dress rehearsal for him to prove that he can still be one of the top bigs in the NBA while staying healthy.

Davis' health will be the ultimate X-factor when it comes to if the Mavericks will get good value back for him or not, and if he can stay healthy while dominating, Dallas may find themselves getting a pretty penny back for their star big man. Especially if several teams get involved.

The Mavericks' potential trade return for Davis won't be at a superstar level by any means, but getting multiple first-round picks and solid young players back for him would be a win for Dallas. They need some more building blocks to form a future contender around Flagg, and trading Davis would give them the opportunity to do that.

Dallas having to pivot away from Harrison's vision less than a year after Doncic was traded for Davis is the ultimate nightmare, but they have to deal the cards that they were dealt. With Harrison gone, the Mavericks now have the chance to begin a rebuild around one of the most promising young players in the NBA in Flagg.

All eyes will be on Anthony Davis and how he performs over the next few weeks, and if these recent rumors prove to be true, he may not be in Dallas much longer.