Things were supposed to be different for Anthony Davis. The number one pick out of Kentucky made his way out of the muck and mire of New Orleans to the glitz and glamour of the Los Angeles Lakers, won a championship alongside LeBron James, and seemed fixed for his legacy to be cemented on the West Coast. Now, stuck in the purgatory of the injury-riddled Dallas Mavericks, it seems that the Mavs’ front office is mulling over whether to let Davis go to exchange for more pieces to support rookie Cooper
Flagg. With Shams Charania reporting that the Raptors are amongst the potential suitors for AD, let’s take a look at what a potential trade package for the Maverick would look like.
5 for 5
As an asset, AD brings with him not only his otherworldly basketball capabilities, but a great deal of baggage in terms of his injury history and availability. Davis’ health struggles have been widely publicized, and he has already missed a number of games this season, after playing only 51 games in the 2024-25 season. As such, the ten time all-star’s value is a contentious topic that the Raptors would likely be able to leverage for a good deal.
A trade package centred around Jakob Poeltl, RJ Barrett, and picks, is the most likely offer that Toronto puts out for AD. In exchange for an injured, aging star, Dallas would receive a serviceable centre in Poeltl to shore up their roster. With centres Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II both out, having more backcourt depth in a slightly younger package would benefit the Mavericks.
With Kyrie Irving out and Davis having dialled back his offensive output, getting a temporary scoring punch would be of great benefit to the Mavs as well, which is why the production of RJ Barrett would hold some significant weight in trade talks. Not one player for the Mavericks has cracked 20 points per game this season, and exchanging some of Davis’ defence for Barrett’s offence would be worthy of consideration for both parties involved. At 25, Barrett is young enough to fit better with the developmental timeline of Cooper Flagg, but has enough experience that he could remain a valuable mentor for the rookie.
Davis’ reputation has enough weight that despite his risks and regression of late, the Mavericks would likely be able to demand some draft capital on top of players, likely in the form of two first round picks from the Raps. Considering that Toronto looks like a contender now, those picks might be a small price to pay in exchange for a veteran centre who could prove to be the true upgrade at the five that pushes Toronto over the hump. Shams has noted that Davis’ other Texas teammates might be on the trading block as well, so Davis might be paired with Klay Thompson in a package to make the Mavericks younger, more befitting of a place for Flagg to play his first NBA seasons.
The uncertainty that comes with Davis is a risk that seems even more pronounced now, and giving up one of our most reliable and important offensive pieces seems risky when we don’t know what our current roster looks like in the playoffs. That said, adding a veteran presence with real two-way capabilities could be the very thing the Raptors needs to take the next step for contention. My take? Too early to make this kind of trade: let this season play itself out. Even if Davis returns to his all-star form, the risk is too high, especially considering how well our current roster is playing. One misstep could send the franchise back into a pseudo-rebuild, the very state that the Mavericks find themselves in now.
