All eyes are on the Dallas Mavericks after they fired controversial GM Nico Harrison. Many expect them to have a fire sale, or they ship out many of their top players to teams for as much as they can get.
That includes starring Anthony Davis, who is likely the hottest name on the trade market right now. With many expecting him to be traded, it seems to be only a matter of time before Shams Charania of ESPN has a breaking news post announcing a blockbuster deal.
However, not so fast, according to Mavericks minority owner Mark Cuban, who previously was a majority owner for more than two decades. He recently shut down the possibility of trading Davis.
“We won’t. We want to try to win,” Cuban said, according to the Athletic.
However, his influence on the franchise has seemingly waned after selling his majority stake. That seemingly flies in the face of the many trade rumors, including that of Mavericks insider Tim McMahon, who expects Davis to be moved before the February trade.
Will the Mavericks move Anthony Davis at the trade deadline?
It comes down to who you believe: Cuban, who has been the face of the Mavericks for more than two decades, or McMahon, who has been plugged into the Mavericks. My money is on McMahon, with Cuban not having the same level of pull that he once did.
Remember, he was blindsided by the Luka Dončić trade and was unable to stop his team's superstar from being moved to a rival. This doesn't appear to be the same Cuban that spearheaded the Dirk Nowitzki-era Mavericks to success year over year.
On the other hand, he still does have some say-so and personal decisions, just not the end-all-be-all like he used to be. Nevertheless, it seems highly unlikely that the Mavericks would hold on to Davis in an attempt to make the playoffs when they are already 5-13.
The Mavericks must trade Anthony Davis at all costs
Making the playoffs in the Western Conference is already difficult enough. Davis being out, along with Kyrie Irving, and the Mavericks having dug themselves an early hole makes a postseason run highly unlikely.
Instead, they should shop players such as Davis, Daniel Gafford, Naji Marshall, and even Irving to see what they can get. The end goal should be to try to rebuild their draft stockpile and help build a contender around Cooper Flagg in the long run.
At the moment, that seems almost impossible with them having so few assets at their disposal to build a winning team long-term. That's why a fire sale is needed and why the Mavericks should absolutely trade Davis the first chance that they get.