Newest Anthony Davis bombshell puts Mavericks in zone Nico Harrison dreamed of

When the Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis on February 1, it was clear that Nico Harrison believed that Davis would give Dallas a better chance to win a title than Doncic. Trading a 25-year-old surefire MVP candidate for a 31-year-old big man comes with its fair share of risks, but Harrison was all in on Davis being the player who would lead the Mavericks to the promised land.

Fast forward six and a half months, and Stephen A. Smith just dropped the take that could make Harrison's vision come true. On a Friday segment of First Take on ESPN, Smith listed Davis as his No. 1 player to watch in the NBA next season, even saying that the Mavs will win the NBA Finals if Davis and Kyrie Irving are healthy and on their A game.

"Together, both healthy...I would pick the Dallas Mavericks to win the NBA Championship," Smith exclaimed. "That's a big if, it's fluid, it could change, but it's legit, and everybody knows it. Cause the one thing we ain't gonna say about AD is that the brother can't play."

Stephen A. Smith predicts Mavs will win NBA Finals under one condition

Smith was extremely confident in Davis for the entire segment, briefly diving into the reason that the Mavs were fine with shipping Doncic was because Davis is a walking 28-point, 12-rebound type of player when healthy. Davis truly is one of the best bigs in the NBA when healthy, and he'll be on a mission to prove all of the doubters wrong next season.

Davis' incredible Mavs debut against the Houston Rockets on February 8 was a great look into how dominant he can be when he's at his best, and fans will be hoping that they can get this version of Davis every single game. He's a monster down low who just happens to be one of the most impactful defenders in the NBA, and if the Mavs win a title next season, it'll be because he plays at an MVP level.

This will all hinge on his health, as Mavericks fans have a sour taste in their mouths from seeing Davis go down in his first game with the team, but Harrison clearly believes that they will get a healthy Davis. He underwent eye surgery this summer, which could derail his training regimen ahead of training camp, but Harrison seemed to have a hunch that Doncic wasn't going to stay healthy in Dallas if they had kept him, and Davis has a chance to prove him right in this area next season by staying on the floor as much as possible.

Outside of Smith's bold Davis bombshell, he also dove into Irving and his potential impact, listing him as the No. 5 player to watch in the NBA next season. Davis and Irving were the only two teammates to make his list, as the other three spots were occupied by Kevin Durant, Luka Doncic, and Jimmy Butler, and just like Davis, Irving must also stay healthy once he returns from his ACL tear.

Smith urged fans to keep an eye on Irving as the season winds down thanks to his unreal ball handling and shot-making ability, teasing his take that he would solidify later in the segment that the Mavs will be true NBA Finals contenders.

Of course, Dallas likely wouldn't be in this position to emerge as contenders just over six months after trading Doncic if they hadn't won the NBA Draft Lottery and selected Cooper Flagg, but that's the reality, and the Mavs could end up being much scarier than anyone gives them credit for.

The entire DFW metroplex would be on fire if Smith's prediction of the Mavs winning the NBA Finals comes true, and Harrison would be smiling from ear to ear. His dream of winning a title with a Davis-Irving duo at the epicenter can come true as soon as July of 2026, and this August take from Smith could make him look like a genius in 10 months if the Mavs can climb the mountaintop and hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy for the second time in team history.