Mavericks' Anthony Davis trade shockwaves put dream Cooper Flagg partner in play

Anthony Davis trade rumors have been the talk of the town ever since the Dallas Mavericks fired Nico Harrison, and one of the first players that they should target in a prospective Davis deal is Ausar Thompson of the Detroit Pistons.

Detroit is a team that has been speculated about trading for Davis for a few weeks now, and if the Pistons do show interest, the Mavericks should have their crosshairs straight on Thompson. He is easily one of their best young pieces, and landing him would give Dallas the perfect player to pair with Cooper Flagg for years to come.

Flagg is in the middle of an incredible rookie season, as he is averaging 16.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.3 steals per game while becoming more comfortable every game. Pairing him with someone like Thompson on the wing would help Dallas form one of the most terrifying young defensive duos in the NBA, and the Mavericks would add another young stud to their foundation.

Mavericks should eye Ausar Thompson to jumpstart Cooper Flagg era

The first objection to Dallas pulling off a trade for Thompson would obviously be that the Pistons wouldn't give him up in a deal for Davis. Fans are already worried that Detroit would never give up Thompson if they were to make a trade with the Mavericks, and everyone seems to think that it would be a combination of Tobias Harris, Isaiah Stewart, Jaden Ivey, and draft capital.

The Pistons clearly value Thompson highly, but Davis' recent injuries have caused him to become undervalued, and Dallas could end up getting more back from him than expected.

It has gotten to the point that Davis' on-court impact is getting heavily overlooked, and if he returns with a vengeance and dominates before the trade deadline, Thompson could become at least attainable. The Mavericks netting Thompson in a Davis trade would likely mean that they wouldn't receive any first-round draft capital back, but this could be a risk that they are willing to take. Especially if they believe in his long-term fit next to Flagg.

The Pistons' future picks aren't going to be very valuable anyway, as they'll likely be near the end of the first round year after year with Cade Cunningham becoming one of the league's best players.

This season for Detroit, Thompson is averaging 12.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.8 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game while shooting 50.8 percent from the field, and he is only going to get better. Thompson's athleticism, defense, size, and finishing around the bucket make him an attractive trade target for any team around the league, and maybe the Mavericks will get lucky enough to land him over the next few months.

With Detroit being 14-2 and the No. 1 team in the Eastern Conference, bringing in Davis could be the one move they need to become real title threats, and them going all-in on winning a title this season shouldn't be out of the cards. This doesn't mean that they should give up the farm to bring in Davis, but trading Thompson along with matching salary to land a top-15 player in the NBA doesn't seem like the most uneven swap.

They would have to believe that Davis is their missing piece, which is a possibility, and he has the versatility to fit with Jalen Duren and Stewart. Davis is one of the most switchable defenders and paint beasts in the NBA when he's fully healthy, and the idea of the Pistons aggressively pursuing him to help them pursue their first title since 2004 is thought-provoking to say the least.

It's extremely risky, but not impossible.

Davis has become underrated at this point, and a solid string of play once he returns would undoubtedly help drive his trade value up. Dallas needs him to play at an elite level upon returning, as his return in a potential trade is going to give the Mavericks a great shot at adding a building block around Flagg before he even begins his second season.

Dallas seems set on building around Flagg and for the future, and Thompson would give them a guaranteed young future star to begin the new era with. This would be one of the best young wing duos that this franchise has ever seen, and the Mavs would be in great hands.

Both players are freak athletes, amazing defenders, and solid finishers, and the Mavericks would have one of the best wing duos in the NBA. With Jason Kidd's longtime focus on playing fast, they'd be bringing in a player who loves to do just that, and it would be lob city in Dallas once again.

Thompson's lob finishing as a small forward is something that has gone a bit overlooked over his first three years in the league. His strength and finishing make him someone who can be used as a screener in the pick and roll, and this, combined with his finishing in transition, would help the Mavericks significantly.

Dallas potentially netting Thompson in a trade will all come down to how badly Detroit wants Davis and how he plays upon returning from injury. If both of these things happen to go their way, the Mavericks could be in luck.

Despite it seeming like a long shot at this moment, we've seen crazier things happen.