Mavericks' Anthony Davis trade just became an even bigger gift for Dallas

The Dallas Mavericks decided to get rid of Anthony Davis earlier this season by trading him to the Washington Wizards, and this trade keeps getting better for Dallas. Davis hasn't played for Washington while Marvin Bagley III and Khris Middleton are playing well for their new team, but the benefits don't stop there.

The Mavericks own the Phoenix Suns' second-round pick from the Davis trade (along with four other future draft picks), and due to some recent news in Phoenix, Dallas could be picking higher than expected with their third selection in that draft. They own their own first-round pick, along with Oklahoma City's, and their second-round pick from the Suns could quickly get much more favorable.

Mavericks benefit from every Suns loss

Early Friday morning, Suns wing Dillon Brooks was arrested on suspicion of DUI in Scottsdale, Arizona, and this was the last thing that Phoenix needed right now. Brooks has already been out of the Suns' lineup since the end of last month with a broken left hand, and he's not set to return for about a month.

Phoenix having to deal with Brooks' arrest, and whatever comes along with it, is definitely a distraction in the middle of the best season of his career, and now they have two things to worry about with their starting wing. A hand injury and arrest are a massive double whammy for Brooks and the Suns, but their recent string of bad luck stretches beyond this.

Starting center Mark Williams will miss the next two to three weeks with a left foot injury, and they're now without two of their regular starters. Williams has been solid in Phoenix all season long, averaging 11.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, and just under one block per game, and they'll definitely miss him while he's out.

They'll now have to rely upon Oso Ighodaro and Khaman Maluach to hold down the paint. This has quickly become the Suns' biggest hole with just over one month to play, and Dallas benefits from every game that they lose.

Why Mavericks fans should keep an eye on Phoenix in the standings

The second-round pick that Dallas owns from Phoenix would be the No. 49 pick if the season ended today, but their positioning could improve if the Suns continue to struggle.

They've lost seven of their last 11 games, and there are several teams around them that could leap them in the standings. These seven teams are 3.5 games or less behind the Suns, and every loss for Phoenix and a win for those teams would help improve the Mavericks' draft position.

Dallas could end up picking in the mid 40s rather than the late 40s or early 50s if Phoenix crashes and burns — which is a meaningful jump in this year's draft due to how talented it is. Williams' injury, combined with Brooks' injury and arrest, just made things much tougher for them as they push to avoid the Play-In Tournament in a loaded Western Conference.

This is the Mavericks' first chance to add young talent around Cooper Flagg through the draft, and with how stacked this year's draft class is, Dallas fans should be closely monitoring the Suns for the rest of the season.