ESPN’s Shams Charania reported a few days ago that Anthony Davis is still a trade candidate despite dealing with a hand injury that will keep him sidelined for at least six weeks. A subsequent report from his ESPN colleague Tim MacMahon stated that Davis’ agent Rich Paul hopes the 10-time All-Star is traded by the Mavericks prior to the February 5 deadline, but the team doesn’t feel any pressure to deal Davis just to move off his contract.
The Hawks and Raptors have been frequently linked to Davis, but neither team is close to trading for the 32-year-old big man, sources tell Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal.com. Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported earlier on Thursday that Atlanta isn’t operating with any urgency in the wake of Davis’ latest injury.
“The Mavericks’ leverage is materially worse after the hand injury,” one Western Conference executive told Afseth. “I don’t think [Davis] has much of a market.”
Here’s more from Afseth on the Mavericks:
- Forward Naji Marshall is having a career year with Dallas and has popped up in some trade rumors this winter. Confirming recent reporting from Marc Stein, Afseth says there’s a sense that Dallas prefers to hang on to Marshall rather than move him in the coming weeks. The 28-year-old wing is earning $9MM in 2025/26 and will make $9.4MM in ’26/27 before potentially becoming a free agent.
- Although Daniel Gafford has been repeatedly mentioned as one of the team’s top trade chips, his value seems to be diminishing because of health concerns, Afseth reports. The 27-year-old big man has missed 13 games this season due to a right ankle sprain he initially suffered on the first day of training camp and is doubtful for Saturday’s rematch with Utah, tweets Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. “If Gafford is healthy, he can help a team. I don’t think he’s been healthy all season,” one Eastern Conference scout told Dallas Hoops Journal. “That ankle has been a problem for months. It looks like he’s frequently playing through something. He doesn’t pop when you watch the Mavericks like he did last season.” No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg is also doubtful for tomorrow’s game with a left ankle sprain, Curtis adds.
- Veterans Klay Thompson and D’Angelo Russell are two other trade candidates for the Mavs, but neither player seems to have much of a market, sources tell Afseth. While one Eastern executive told Afseth he thinks Thompson can still contribute on a contending team, his contract — he’s owed $34.1MM for this season and next — isn’t viewed positively. Russell, meanwhile, is shooting a career-low 29.5% from three-point range, has been out of the rotation for most of the past month, and holds a $6MM player option for ’26/27.