Lurking Anthony Davis trade threatens Kyrie Irving's long-awaited Mavericks return

There's no denying that the rumors of the Dallas Mavericks trading away Anthony Davis have been around since the team fired Nico Harrison, but trading the big man could affect Kyrie Irving's return from injury. Irving tore his ACL back in March, but his return looks to be on the horizon.

The position the Mavericks are in this season is a tough one, with 2026 arriving. The Mavericks are fighting for a spot in the Play-In Tournament, but Davis' injury issues and Irving's absence are setting the team back significantly to try and win now with rookie phenom Cooper Flagg.

However, if a Davis trade occurs at some point this season, the Mavericks may want to tank. If that's the case, playing Irving may not yield any benefits.

Kyrie Irving's return won't make sense if Anthony Davis is traded

Having Davis and Irving on the floor creates a top one-two punch. Mavs fans saw this in their three quarters together against the Houston Rockets last February, but fans haven't gotten to see this tandem since due to injuries.

The Mavericks will definitely be in a position to win more when Irving returns, but if Davis is gone by the time he is ready to play, tanking will be on a lot of people's minds.

If a Davis trade happens, the Mavericks won't be in a position to win now. An idea is to rest Irving for the remainder of the season so that the team can lose more and have better odds for a top pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.

Irving could have the understanding that when he returns from injury, Davis will still be on the roster with a desire to win and form an excellent on-court trio with Flagg. Not having his big man by his side could hurt and affect Irving's play and his desire to play this season. Davis is still a top big in the league when healthy, and he thrives playing with a top ball handler on his team. Irving is one of the best ball handlers and point guards in the NBA, and they'd be tough to stop together.

However, if the two players can't play together this season because of a Davis trade, there's really no point in playing Irving. A key reason is the Mavericks' future with Flagg.

This season is realistically the only season for the Mavericks to tank due to the team's future draft capital. 2026 is the only year in which the Mavericks own their first-round draft pick until 2031. With that being said, the 2026 NBA Draft is the perfect chance for the Mavericks to land their top guy to play with Flagg for the future. It will also offer a chance for the Mavericks to find Davis' replacement if they'd like to draft a big man.

Resting Irving would also benefit his health moving forward. At 33 years old, an ACL tear is extremely hard to recover from. For Irving, getting as much rest as possible is very needed.

He just signed a three-year deal with the Mavericks, and the last thing that they need is for him to get injured.

Time will tell whether or not Davis is traded by the Mavericks this season, but playing Irving without Davis by his side wouldn't make sense with Dallas desperately needing to tank.