NBA guru drops Mavericks trade they must consider to avoid 'terrible position'

20 days out from the NBA trade deadline, virtually all talk surrounding the Dallas Mavericks has been, and will continue to be, about Anthony Davis. Despite spraining a finger on his left hand and projecting to be out well beyond the trade deadline, though, Davis is still garnering interest from other teams, but the Mavericks may have to settle for a less-than-ideal return package for Davis if they want to avoid the second apron, per NBA insider Bobby Marks.

Of course, the Mavericks could always shift their focus toward trading Davis in the summer, but with his risk of injury being so high and him theoretically returning this season still, Dallas may need to get out of the Davis business as soon as possible. On a recent episode of the "DLLS Mavs Podcast", Marks joined the crew to discuss the potential return package Davis could warrant at this point, and while it won't make Mavericks fans excited, it may be necessary to avoid strict cap stipulations.

"I would be looking at a deal just to try to get off his money," Marks said on the show. "And I know that will probably not sound right for Mavericks fans who are considering what you had to give up to get him, but I do think where they are financially next year, they're in a terrible position next year financially."

Mavericks have to move on from Davis to avoid the second apron

Whether it's in the summer or before February 5, Marks thinks Dallas needs to move on from the 32-year-old big man who still has up to $121 million remaining on his deal over the next two seasons.

Had Davis worked out in Dallas and wasn't getting consistently hurt, then the Mavericks would be in a different position here, as they'd probably be trying to make other cost-cutting moves this deadline to keep Davis on the team and still avoid the second apron next season. It's too early to see how next season will play out, and while one would like to think the Mavericks will be much better next year, they can't assume a healthy Davis would make them bona fide contenders.

If Dallas undoubtedly thinks they can win the championship next season and Davis is still on the roster in the summer, that'd be the only scenario where extending him and going into the second apron would be plausible, but this isn't a move the Mavericks can afford to make based on how things have gone this season.

With the reporting on Davis' trade value being so back and forth in recent weeks, all Mavericks fans can do is pray they get a better return package for Davis than strictly expiring contracts, but this is far from a guarantee at this juncture. The Mavericks may have to take this to the summer if they really want to drive Davis' value up a little, but if they shut him down for the rest of the season, it's unknown how much this would actually increase his trade value in the summer, if at all.

The Mavericks are in a tricky position as Marks and many others have pointed out, but these are the type of tough circumstances they are going to have to navigate because of Nico Harrison's damning decision to swap Davis for Luka Doncic last February.