ESPN clears up Anthony Davis trade rumor threatening the Mavericks’ future

Earlier this week, it was reported that Anthony Davis wanted to remain with the Dallas Mavericks and sign an extension this summer rather than be traded ahead of the deadline. This startled Mavericks fans, as Davis' loyalty to Dallas could cause Patrick Dumont to hold onto him and cough up a massive extension, but ESPN cleared the air and set things straight on how Davis really feels.

Davis' reported "preference" to remain in Dallas had nothing to do with the fact that he wants to remain a Maverick. He just wants a contract extension.

"The priority there is the extension, not the preference to stay in Dallas," Tim MacMahon said on NBA Today.

Anthony Davis just wants to get paid — wherever that may be

Mavericks fans have nothing to worry about, and it sounds like Davis and his camp want a one-way ticket out of Dallas if they aren't going to give him an extension. Davis is eligible for a four-year, $275 million extension this offseason, and this is the last thing that the Mavericks need to give him.

Dallas' full focus should be on building around Cooper Flagg, and giving Davis an extension would hold them back from achieving that goal. They’d be locked into the Anthony Davis business until his age-37 season, and that’s a risk they shouldn’t want to consider.

Davis has already shown that he can’t stay healthy for long durations, as he hasn’t played more than five games in a row since arriving in Dallas. His injuries are a ticking time bomb, and under no circumstance should the Mavericks bet on him remaining healthy and being one of their franchise cornerstones.

He proved this in his most recent game, as he suffered an injury to his left hand in the fourth quarter against the Utah Jazz. The severity of this injury is unknown, but it was clear that he was in serious pain. Davis couldn't even make it to the locker room before hunching over and holding his hand, and this could prove to be disastrous if he misses significant time.

This was just the fourth game that Davis had played in a row since returning from a groin injury he suffered on Christmas Day, and his quest to play more than five games in a row as a Maverick continues. Since being swapped for Luka Doncic, Davis hasn't played six games in a row without some sort of setback.

This is exactly what Mavs fans feared when Nico Harrison sent Doncic to Los Angeles for Davis, and his injury history and durability issues have only worsened over the last 11 months. Despite all of this, the Mavericks aren't completely done with him.

Patrick Dumont prefers to see Davis play with Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving before making another massive trade, and this could be one of the reasons that they haven't fully ruled out an extension.

Davis’ camp doesn’t believe the Mavericks are going to give him an extension despite Dallas at least considering this, and Rich Paul is going to push for him to end up wherever he will be paid. Paul always does what he can to get his client in the best situation possible, and he’ll likely help Davis force his way out of Dallas if he needs to.

This doesn’t seem like something Davis will do, as he has been a class act since arriving in Dallas, but they have to do what’s best for his future as well. Davis' representatives know that the Mavericks would be better off trading Davis to rebuild around Flagg, and this may be exactly what they do.

Anthony Davis has enjoyed his time in Dallas, but if he isn't part of their long-term plans, Rich Paul will ensure that he ends up somewhere that he is in the coming weeks.