Mavericks must brace for crushing Anthony Davis truth racing toward them

The Dallas Mavericks have been in some serious rumors about making major changes via the trade market after firing Nico Harrison last week, and Anthony Davis is someone who may not be on the roster by the time that the February 5 trade deadline rolls around. While many Mavericks fans seem to want to move on from Davis soon, what no one will be willing to accept is that the trade return Dallas nets for Davis (if they do indeed trade him) is not going to be at a level that fans will like.

Mavs fans will immediately plug in the trade return for Davis to the original parameters of the Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis trade, and this is only going to make them more angry.

With Davis' injury history and his age, the Mavericks can't expect to land a haul of assets if they do move on from him over the next few months, and every game he misses will likely drive his trade value down even more.

Anthony Davis' trade market may disappoint Dallas

Availability is the best ability in today's NBA, especially when your team is trying to make a deep playoff push, and Davis has not embodied this philosophy as of late.

On Sunday evening, we got the news that Davis' calf strain would be re-evaluated in seven to 10 days, meaning that by the time that he returns (if he returns for Dallas' game in exactly one week against the Miami Heat), he will have been out for nearly four weeks and missed 13 games. He has now missed nine games in a row, and his availability has once again been a major issue.

Davis' health was one of the biggest knocks on the Mavericks' decision to trade Doncic for him, and they are learning how difficult it can be to win without their star player being healthy.

No team is going to give up a massive haul for a player who hasn't proven that he can stay on the floor since arriving in Dallas, and the time from now until the trade deadline is going to be crucial when it comes to Davis' health and his potential trade value.

Potential Davis suitors are going to want to see some positive performances from him before they even think about trading for him, and they are going to want to know that he is fully healthy as well. Patrick Dumont is being extra cautious when it comes to Davis' return, as he has been part of the decision-making process for when he gets cleared, and this is ultimately the smartest option moving forward.

Dumont being involved this intently with Davis shows that he seems to care more than he may have before, and him being more hands-on after firing Harrison is a positive sign. On top of this, ensuring that Davis is 100 percent healthy before he makes his comeback should help with his long-term availability as well.

Davis returning too early could have serious consequences, as a torn Achilles is a real risk of rushing a calf strain, and a catastrophic injury like this happening would completely crush his trade value.

Dallas would have an extremely difficult time moving on from Davis if he tore his Achilles or suffered a different injury, and Dumont and the Mavericks' medical staff's careful approach should help them get the absolute most value for him that they can if he is productive when he returns.

Davis' play over the next few months is going to be one of the most important factors of the season, as he could play them back into playoff positioning or play well enough for a team to feel comfortable parting with significant assets to bring him in.

The Mavericks should be able to land some young talent along with first-round draft capital if they do decide to trade Davis, but fans shouldn't expect to receive an arm and a leg back for him like they had to give up to bring him to town.