Mavericks' dangerous Anthony Davis trade time bomb is ticking quickly

As 2026 has arrived, the Dallas Mavericks' Anthony Davis trade rumors certainly won't go away any time soon, but the team must move him now instead of waiting until after the season concludes.

Many teams are in a position where they can win now, unlike the Mavericks, and adding Davis can certainly give borderline contenders enough of a bump to pursue a championship. Now, it's time for the Mavericks to make a move soon and not wait until the summer.

Teams are already showing interest in the Mavs' star big man, and they need to capitalize on this rather than kicking the can down the road.

Mavericks need to trade Davis now to get the best value possible

Despite all the injury headaches Davis has caused the Mavericks, including a recent groin injury, he should still have some decent trade value for the performances that he has put forth while healthy. Davis has been an outstanding scorer and defender throughout his career, and he could change the landscape of the Eastern Conference depending on who trades for him.

If the Mavericks wait until after the season to trade Davis, the value may not be there for him. Knowing his health history, it's possible that Davis could suffer a serious injury before the trade deadline. If that were to happen, there would be no way a team would want to make a trade for him. Therefore, the Mavericks would be wasting their time holding onto Davis until the offseason in an attempt to trade him, as his injuries are nothing to play with.

Trading Davis to a Western Conference team is something the Mavericks should avoid as well, as the team would face him often, and the thought of competing against him in the NBA Playoffs down the road is possible. The West is already loaded, and they should balance the power if they can by sending him elsewhe

With how competitive the Eastern Conference standings are, trading Davis there would make much more sense. Some teams that have been rumored to be in the mix for Davis are the Toronto Raptors and Atlanta Hawks, with the Hawks being the early frontrunners.

The Eastern Conference is wide open, with the defending conference champion Indiana Pacers, at the bottom of the standings. Davis could thrust a team into immediate contention, and the Mavericks need to sell high after he puts together a few solid performances.

After 2026, the Mavericks will not fully control their own first-round draft pick until 2031. The Mavericks must use first-round draft picks to rebuild around Cooper Flagg, and a trade should help bring them back at least one pick. At 32 years old, Davis doesn't appear to be in the plans with Flagg as the team's cornerstone, so the Mavericks can't delay the inevitable any longer.

A Davis trade would also help the Mavericks free up a lot of cap space if they trade for some expiring contracts. This is one of their priorities in any move that involves Davis, and it would be game-changing to help jumpstart the Flagg era.

Davis has a cap hit of over $58 million for next season, then a player option in 2027, where his contract can be worth over $62 million for the 2027-28 season. If traded, the Mavericks would dump a soon-to-be negative contract that would hinder their future moves.

Dallas will likely end up having plenty of offers for Davis, and they need to act sooner rather than later. Waiting around won't do them any good, and they need to strike while the iron is hot and avoid the risk of him suffering another injury.