NBA insider pours 'cold water' on Mavericks' dream Anthony Davis trade

With the position the Dallas Mavericks are in this season, rumors surrounding Anthony Davis and his future in Dallas have been flowing. The Mavericks have faced Davis' injuries and his inability to stay on the court since he was traded to Dallas by the Los Angeles Lakers, and fans are beginning to get fed up.

One team that has been rumored to make a trade for Davis is the Detroit Pistons. They're currently at the top of the Eastern Conference, and adding Davis to the mix could solidify them as the team to beat out east. On top of that, they have intriguing young players and draft capital for Dallas to chase in a prospective trade.

Mavericks fans have been gushing about a potential Detroit-Davis trade for weeks now, as they have some intriguing assets that could perk Dallas' ears up a bit.

However, even with recent rumors about the Pistons, NBA insider Jake Fischer doesn't see why the Pistons would want to trade for Davis. If that's the case, this dream trade destination for the Mavericks to send Davis may be off the table.

Why the Pistons may hold off on an Anthony Davis trade

On a recent edition of Insider Notebook, Fisher heavily talked about Davis trade rumors. Fisher mentioned Shams Charania's three teams that he reported would be interested in Davis: the Pistons, Toronto Raptors, and Atlanta Hawks. However, Fisher doesn't see the Pistons making a trade for Davis, and by the way he worded it, it sounds like he has gotten some intel to support that claim.

"Not to pour cold water on somebody else's work, but I'm gonna say right now that I find the Pistons to be an incredibly unlikely landing spot for Anthony Davis," Fischer said.

Fischer mentioned during the episode that because the Pistons are atop the Eastern Conference with tradable players on the roster, along with having cap space and draft capital, the team could be in the mix for "theoretically anyone." If that's the case, the Pistons would want to land a better player in a trade over Davis. Given Davis' injury history and contract, it can be understandable for the Pistons not to want to make a trade with the Mavericks and look elsewhere to upgrade their roster.

There are many better options on the table than Davis, and if they traded for him, they'd likely be forced to extend him this summer. Extending Davis is an even bigger risk than trading for him, and Detroit would be locking him in as one of their franchise cornerstones if they added him to their squad this season.

Two young players the Pistons could trade away to land a big name in a trade, like Davis, are Ron Holland and Jaden Ivey. Both Holland II and Ivey have solid potential to be quality players who could fit better elsewhere, given the Pistons' record. Ivey's role with the Pistons has been minimized this season, and while Holland has made significant strides in his development this season, a team like Dallas could offer him an expanded role and allow him to grow alongside Cooper Flagg.

Veterans that the Pistons have on their roster who could be tradable are Tobias Harris and Duncan Robinson. Detroit is going to have to make the salary match up in any big deal that they make, and trading Harris makes the most sense, considering that he is on an expiring contract worth $26.6 million this season.

If the Mavericks trade Davis this season, it will definitely be about building for the future. The Mavericks need one first-round draft pick at the very least from a team that makes a call for Davis. After 2026, the Mavericks don't have a first-round draft pick of their own until 2031. With that in mind, multiple first-round draft picks are something the Mavericks should want, but it may be a tough sell.

Getting draft capital is pivotal so the Mavericks can have something to build upon for the future with Flagg at the head of the snake.

Despite fans' excitement about the potential of Dallas making a trade with Detroit for Davis, Fischer doesn't see it happening. There are other suitors in the mix, such as the Raptors and Hawks, and fans who want to see Davis traded should shift their focus to those teams rather than crossing their fingers for him to get sent to Motor City.