Mavericks' best possible return in Anthony Davis trade is painfully obvious

After a brutal start to the 2025-26 NBA season, the Dallas Mavericks are suddenly showing signs of life. And that might be even more damning to the franchise, since the league's middle class is where no one wants to be.

That's why the basketball world is back to buzzing about a possible Anthony Davis trade. Well, they're talking about a lot of possible trades for Dallas, actually. Per ESPN's Shams Charania, the Mavericks "are open to exploring the trade markets for Davis, center Daniel Gafford and guards Klay Thompson and D'Angelo Russell."

This isn't quite a full-scale fire sale, but it's roster reset-adjacent. With Dallas still climbing out of the rubble created by last season's disastrous Luka Doncic deal, it has to absolutely nail a Davis trade to have any shot at putting top pick Cooper Flagg in the best developmental environment possible. This hypothetical pitch could make that happen.

Mavericks fans might be underwhelmed by this return. My suggestion: Get used to it.

Davis might be overloaded with accolades, but those won't be reflected in the trade offers coming Dallas' way. Injuries have done irreparable damage to his trade value; he has cleared the 60-game mark twice since the 2017-18 season. Teams won't fork over a fortune for someone who might require nightly availability checks.

With his 33rd birthday arriving in March, it's not like his durability problems will solve themselves. It's possible they'll grow even harder to handle. What they may not do, though, is lessen his contract cost. He's making $54.1 million this season, is owed $58.5 million for the next, and holds a $62.8 million player option for 2027-28, per Spotrac. As Charania noted, Davis will be eligible next August to sign a four-year, $275 million max extension which would include a $76 million salary for his age-37 season.

Those pay rates are staggering, especially in the NBA's apron era. Teams won't come close to forking over everything they have for Davis.

Dallas still needs to extract as much value as it can. This potential package could be as good as it gets. The Mavs can forget about getting multiple young players and multiple draft picks, but this deal would deliver both a rookie first-rounder (Asa Newell, this year's No. 23 pick) and an interesting future first. The Pelicans look awful, and the Bucks would look the same if they ever brokered a Giannis Antetokounmpo blockbuster. Both of their 2027 firsts could land high up the board.

Dallas needs that kind of draft capital, because it ceded control of its own first-round picks from 2027 through 2030 and won't have its own second-round pick until 2032. That should also steer the Mavericks toward taking a future-focused return for Davis, since the 2026 draft will be their last chance in a long while to land in the draft lottery and be able to take advantage of that.

Financial flexibility should be another focus, and this deal delivers that, too. Both Kristaps Porzingis and Luke Kennard are playing on expiring deals. If the Mavs manage to get out from under Davis' deal, they should be aiming to take back as little long-term money as possible. Here, their only commitment past this campaign would be Newell's rookie-scale salary.

So, while it is probably underwhelming on the surface, it's also a reflection of reality. A healthy Davis might be a really good player, but that doesn't make this version of him a huge trade chip. Through that lens, the Mavs would be wise to chase the package that provides the most long-term help for Flagg, and this offer looks like the one.