Thrilling Anthony Davis trade rumor hides a nightmare for the Mavericks

Anthony Davis has been one of the most talked-about subjects in the NBA when it comes to trade talks, but if the Dallas Mavericks do follow through and trade him to the Atlanta Hawks, the result might be more of a disaster than fans may think.

Davis has only played in 25 games since joining the Mavs. It's fair to see why fans want to get rid of him before the deadline or in the offseason, but getting Zaccharie Risacher as the centerpiece of the deal would cause more harm than good. The fact that the Hawks are pursuing Davis so hard after a slow start when it comes to trade rumors is at least thrilling for Mavericks fans, but they need to pay the right price as well.

The second-year man from France hasn't panned out to the potential of a first overall pick, and the other pieces next to him in a potential trade (likely the expiring contracts of Luke Kennard and Kristaps Porzingis, since Dallas doesn't want anything to do with Trae Young) won't be great either. The Mavericks are prioritizing young players and expiring contracts, but fans have to realize that the hype is fading with Risacher.

Why trading Davis for Risacher could be a disaster for the Mavericks

No one is saying that Risacher is a bust yet, but no one is talking about him like a superstar talent that can help transform a team to greater heights, either. Kennard and Porzingis aren't exactly hot trade pieces, and the Mavs really need to think before they pull off a trade of this magnitude.

Most trades involving a superstar of Davis' caliber would return a massive package, and the draft capital included in the deal better be significant if Patrick Dumont is going to pull the trigger on a deal with Atlanta.

The top overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft hasn't panned out yet. Plain and simple.

He is averaging just 10.7 points and 3.0 rebounds per game while shooting under 34 percent from downtown, and the potential that he flashed at the end of last season hasn't been as present this time around.

If he were involved in a trade with Dallas, it would be the worst outcome possible in a Davis trade if there wasn't much draft capital coming back to the Mavericks. Top overall picks haven't panned out well throughout history when traded to a second team, especially this early in Risacher's career.

Not to mention, Kennard was recently listed as a DNP-CD, which means he was healthy and didn't play. For Kennard, this was not just any demotion from Hawks head coach Quin Snyder. It was at a time when the perimeter rotation was badly injured. Kennard's production has rapidly declined from last season with the Memphis Grizzlies. Trading for him would be a huge mistake, but Dallas could at least get out of his contract after the season ended.

Landing Kennard in a deal would be more about freeing up money, and he shouldn't be relied upon to play big minutes by any means.

On the other hand, Porzingis is a name that Mavs fans don't need another introduction with. Inactivity started to plague his time with Dallas, and eventually, Nico Harrison got tired of him and traded him away at the trade deadline in 2022. Porzingis has also been dealing with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) since last season with the Boston Celtics. This alone should have Mavs fans wary of Porzingis coming back to their team, and just like Kennard, he'd only be coming to Dallas to help the money match up.

Harrison was already booed multiple times during the Mavs' home games. The "Fire Nico" chants sounded like a regular thing at one point. The fanbase is already on edge with the Mavs' front office, and Matt Riccardi and Michael Finley cannot afford to have the fanbase against them by settling for a subpar Anthony Davis trade return.

Trading Davis is one thing, but fans want to ensure that it's done right.

More draft capital to build around Cooper Flagg would be the most ideal weapon for Dallas, as they really have to make their 2026 first-round draft pick count. The next pick that they fully control isn't until 2031. Whichever team Davis goes to, the Mavs have to get at least one future first-round pick, and potentially getting a third team involved may be the best idea for Dallas.

Riscacher, Kennard, Porzingis, and no first-round picks for Davis would be an accident waiting to happen. Riscacher hasn't consistently proven that he can be a high-level starter yet, and his stock couldn't be lower given his recent poor performance.

The potential is at least fun with the former first overall pick, but Dallas needs to receive much more for the 10-time All-Star big man.