Mavericks have to move on despite Anthony Davis' plea to stay

Anthony Davis is on the trade block. That much we know, as the Dallas Mavericks try to build a team around Cooper Flagg that makes sense for the future. Davis himself, though, doesn't seem too keen on packing up his life and heading elsewhere. According to Tim Macmahon of ESPN:

"[Davis'] preference would be to stay in Dallas and to get that extension this summer," MacMahon said. "The Mavericks are trying to generate a good trade market for Anthony Davis. That is difficult because of the durability issues, and I think more so the dollars."

This is a tough one. On the one hand, if the Mavericks can get multiple first-round picks for Davis, plus a young player, it's hard to think they'd turn it down. And they should accept any deal that makes them younger and more flexible with draft assets, to be fair.

On the other hand — Davis makes the team better now and he wants to stay in Dallas. Trading the guy (who wants to stay with the team) that you got from trading a guy (who really wanted to stay with the team) is not a great look for the new front office... And it might not make basketball-wise, either.

Perhaps this goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway: the Mavericks should be trying to trade Anthony Davis. But they don't need to trade Anthony Davis for the heck of it, and they shouldn't trade Anthony Davis if the offers from other teams are offensive. Forcing a trade would not benefit this team in a meaningful way. Cap space in 2028 doesn't move me. Don't be propagandized into thinking that future cap space is all-important.

The Dallas Mavericks should not force an Anthony Davis trade

Anthony Davis is still a dominant NBA big. Yes, he's got serious durability issues, and no, he doesn't match the timeline of franchise cornerstone Cooper Flagg. But when he plays, the team is considerably better today. The Mavs are 9-9 with Davis in the lineup, and 4-13 without. That's considerable.

Thus, I don't think the team should force a trade if the market isn't there. Like MacMahon said, teams are scared off by Davis' injury concerns and his contract (which could pay him $62 million in 2027-28). If that's a big enough red flag that teams aren't willing to part with anything really promising, then... Why trade him?

We get so deep into trade rabbit holes that sometimes we forget to view the big picture. Right now, the big picture is that Anthony Davis remains a defensive difference-maker who helps Cooper Flagg be a better player and who wants to play in Dallas. That's enough, really. Showing him the door because the Hawks offered Zaccharie Risacher, or whoever, wouldn't feel great for Mavs fans.