Mavericks are playing with fire over Anthony Davis, and it's getting dangerous

The rumors of Anthony Davis being traded this season continue to linger, and according to ESPN's Shams Charania, the hole of uncertainty is only widening for the 10-time All-Star. Charania's article on ESPN regarding the trade buzz around the NBA has Davis' name written all over it. The Atlanta Hawks, Detroit Pistons, and Toronto Raptors are all expected to be suitors for Davis. The only concern is that every card is in play, including the possibility of Dallas giving Davis an extension in the offseason.

"Davis' agent, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, has met with Mavericks interim co-general managers Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi and requested clarity about whether the franchise wants to extend Davis in the offseason or trade him ahead of the deadline," Charania reported. "Finley and Riccardi stated the franchise wants to keep its options open and view how the team plays for the next few weeks. They have not ruled out the possibility of an extension."

Not only is this concerning, but this is dangerous.

An Anthony Davis extension would cripple the Mavericks' future

Rich Paul, Davis' agent, has likely given clear instructions to interim co-general managers Matt Riccardi and Michael Finley on what they need to do with Davis when reading between the lines of Charania's recent report. Either trade him before the deadline or extend him during the offseason. The Mavs' front office wants to keep its options open before getting rid of Davis, but an extension is an accident waiting to happen.

The only concern is the elephant in the room. Yes, you guessed it. Davis' injury history is nothing to play around with. In addition to his adductor strain that he injured in his first game in Dallas, he was also sidelined for 14 games with a left calf strain earlier this season. Likely due to him arriving to training camp overweight.

This shows that if Dallas continues to go the route of playing Davis, he could be at risk of further injury, and Mavs fans need to pray that doesn't happen if they want to trade him before the deadline.

It's one thing to trade Davis before the deadline, but if they don't do that, the talks of an extension are very much in play. This is a major red flag on the Mavs' part, because they've already been disappointed numerous times by their new star big man.

An extension would mean a lot of money for Davis into his late 30s, when they already know the risks that come along with him being a franchise cornerstone. The Mavs are in a stalemate right now, and no one really knows what's going to happen between now and next July. The amount of time and money for Davis to continue in Dallas could be extremely concerning for some fans.

According to Charania, Davis will become eligible on August 6 to sign up to a four-year, $275 million max extension. The extension would pay him $76 million in his age-37 season. Without an extension, he can be a free agent in 2027 if he declines his $62.8 million player option that offseason.

Not giving Davis an extension while also not trading him could cause Paul to grow furious with the Mavs being uncertain of their plans, and it might prompt him to demand a trade for Davis. The worst possible scenario would be Dallas signing Davis to a long-term deal this summer. It might've worked if he were 27, but the fact is that he's about to be 33 years old and has an extensive injury history.

When Davis takes the court and looks fit, he doesn't seem to miss a beat. A glimpse of that recently has given Mavs fans some hope to keep Davis for the long term.

The Achilles heel is, and will always be, Davis' injuries.

And they might be too serious and happen too often to overcome when the front office thinks about keeping him. He also dreams of playing the four, but the truth is, he's best suited at the five. If he grows frustrated with that, it's possible he could want to be moved to best suit his wishes.

If the Mavs do go the route of trading Davis, like they've been flirting with, fans will be quick to judge the trade. They already have PTSD from the Doncic trade, and they can't afford to see another trade go rotten.

But what would be worse is giving him a long-term extension. He can't stay healthy, and giving an aging star a massive deal when they're trying to kick off the Cooper Flagg era is an awful idea.

The Mavericks not shutting down the possibility of an extension is likely just a way for them to gain leverage, but if it isn't, Dallas could be in a world of hurt if Davis remains a key piece of their core when the sole focus should be on Flagg.