Rich Paul Reportedly Wants Mavs To Trade Anthony Davis
Even after sustaining a hand injury that will keep him on the shelf until the February 5 trade deadline and beyond, Mavericks big man Anthony Davis is viewed as an in-season trade candidate. That’s just fine with his agent, according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, who said in the latest episode of the Hoop Collective podcast (YouTube link) that Rich Paul is hoping Dallas sends his client elsewhere in the coming weeks.
“It is very clear that Rich Paul, who represents Anthony Davis, wants Anthony Davis traded before the deadline,” MacMahon said (hat tip to RealGM). “He believes it’s in his best business interest, because he has taken a ‘Well, we’ll see’ from the Mavericks regarding an extension as a ‘no.’ And there are teams where clearly Rich Paul considers it likely that AD would get the kind of extension that he’s looking for when he becomes eligible in August.”
Davis is earning $54.1MM this season and will make $58.5MM in 2026/27. He also holds a player option worth $62.8MM for ’27/28, so it’s not as if he needs to lock in his next deal immediately. Still, multiple reports in recent months have suggested that a contract extension is a priority for the 10-time All-Star, who will turn 33 years old in March. He’ll become eligible for a new deal as of August 6.
While the Mavericks apparently haven’t conveyed that they’re eager to pursue an extension and have been open to the idea of exploring trade scenarios involving Davis, they also don’t necessarily feel like they’ve reached an inflection point with the star forward/center, MacMahon explains.
“They are telling me and anybody who will listen that they’re not trading AD just to make a deal,” MacMahon said. “They don’t feel like they have to unload him. ‘Oh my gosh, the deadline’s here. Got to take what the best offer is.’ They are insistent that they will only make a deal that makes sense for them. And what exactly that threshold is, there’s not clarity on that. But it’s some combination of draft compensation, promising young talent, and financial relief in the form of expiring salaries.
“‘Rich Paul is not going to bully us.’ That is a direct quote from a member of the Mavericks organization. Another member of the Mavericks organization, referring to Patrick Dumont, the governor: ‘Patrick’s not going to sign off on a deal just to do a deal. Ownership doesn’t feel any pressure to do an AD deal.’ A third source: ‘Patrick has no problem going into next year with a healthy Kyrie (Irving) and a healthy AD alongside Cooper Flagg and seeing what it looks like.”
The Hawks and Raptors are the teams that have been linked most frequently to Davis, with the Bucks and Warriors also reportedly among the clubs with some interest. It’s unclear if they – or other clubs – would be any more enthusiastic than the Mavericks about locking up the former No. 1 overall pick to a new extension this offseason. He has battled a series of health issues since being traded to Dallas last February and has appeared in just 29 of 73 possible regular season games as a Mav.
Davis has remained highly effective when he’s available, averaging 20.2 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.8 blocks per game since his arrival in Dallas. Still, his injury history and his maximum-salary price tag are among the factors limiting his value on the trade market — and on his next contract.
As MacMahon points out, the Mavericks will be motivated to be competitive beginning in 2026/27, since they don’t control their own first-round picks from 2027 to 2030, so a full-fledged teardown around Flagg probably doesn’t make sense. Noting that the team’s front office is also in a transitional period, MacMahon suggests the Mavs might be happy to wait until the offseason to make a decision on Davis’ future.
“Maybe there’s an AD deal to be made (at the trade deadline) that they’re comfortable making. Maybe there’s not,” MacMahon said. “And then it can be like Kevin Durant, where, OK, you restart things in the summer.
“But even then, I don’t believe they’re going to feel like there’s a ticking time bomb. There will be a new – whatever the title is -president of basketball operations, lead decision-maker who they’d like to have in place for Cooper Flagg’s career. And maybe it makes sense just to wait for that person to arrive in Dallas and to handle this business.”
Currently, Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi are serving as the Mavericks interim co-GMs, with Dumont, minority owner Mark Cuban, and head coach Jason Kidd also said to be involved in personnel decisions.
Grizzlies Provide Injury Updates On Edey, Clarke, Pippen
Three injured Grizzlies players will remain sidelined for several more weeks, the team announced today in a press release (Twitter link).
Memphis’ update on starting center Zach Edey is the most notable of the bunch. After initially ruling out Edey for four weeks on December 11 due to a stress reaction in his left ankle, the Grizzlies say that the big man’s recovery period will cover at least six more weeks before he’s reevaluated. That timeline suggests Edey won’t be ready to return until late February at the very earliest.
Edey’s extended absence is an unfortunate turn of events for the Grizzlies, who played some of their best basketball of the season when he was available in November and December. Across 11 outings, Edey has averaged 13.6 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks in 25.8 minutes per game.
More notable than those stats were his on/off-court numbers — the Grizzlies outscored opponents by 18.3 points per 100 possessions and posted a defensive rating of 94.5 during Edey’s 284 minutes on the court.
The Grizzlies also shared updates on forward/center Brandon Clarke, who is recovering from a grade 2 right calf strain, and point guard Scotty Pippen Jr., who has yet to play this season while recovering from a seasmoidectomy performed on his left great toe in October. Both players are progressing well in their respective recoveries, according to the team, and are expected to return to play in about to four to six weeks.
Memphis will play its last game prior to the All-Star break on February 11, which is exactly four weeks from today, so Clarke and Pippen are probably more likely to return to action shortly after All-Star weekend than before it.
A series of injuries affecting starters and other rotation players have prevented the Grizzlies from gaining any real momentum for most of the 2025/26 season. They’ve been below .500 since early November and currently have a 17-22 record. Memphis ranks 10th in the Western Conference and holds a one-game lead over the Clippers for the final play-in spot.
LeBron James Distances Himself From Rich Paul’s Podcast Comments
After LeBron James‘ longtime agent Rich Paul raised eyebrows earlier this week by advocating for a trade involving Austin Reaves, James made it clear on Tuesday that any Lakers-related opinions Paul shares on his podcast aren’t being run by LeBron — and aren’t necessarily opinions that the four-time MVP endorses.
“I think you all know by now, Rich is his own man and what Rich says is not a direct reflection of me and how I feel,” James told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “And I hope people know that. I hope people know that and if they’re not sensible to know that, then I don’t know what to tell them.”
As McMenamin details, during the most recent episode of the ‘Game Over with Max Kellerman and Rich Paul‘ podcast, the veteran player agent identified Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr. as an ideal trade target for the Lakers, suggesting L.A. should be willing to give up Reaves and a future first-round pick to land the former Defensive Player of the Year.
“If you’re building around Luka (Doncic) going forward, which they are, you need that anchor,” Paul said on the podcast. “And Jaren doesn’t want to be a part of a rebuild.
“This comes with a very unemotional attachment because Austin is beloved, which he should be, he’s an underdog. There’s a world where you can do what’s best for your team, and do what’s best for Austin. Because Austin deserves to get paid. Now, I love him as a Laker, but if that was a situation where we’re getting balance — because if you put all the money into just the backcourt and then your flexibility is restricted going forward to fill out the rest of the team, then (building a full roster is challenging). Memphis would definitely pay Austin.”
Paul launched the Game Over podcast alongside Kellerman last month and has already made headlines multiple times based on his comments about the Lakers. In a December episode, the Klutch Sports CEO suggested that the Lakers – as currently comprised – aren’t legitimate title contenders. L.A. was off to a 17-6 start at that point.
“Rich, that’s what he’s doing,” James told McMenamin. “That’s his whole thing. That’s what he’s doing. That’s what he’s talking about, but I have zero conversations about what his topics are going to be or what they are going to talk about. He is his own man and that is his platform.”
Reaves will be eligible for unrestricted free agency during the 2026 offseason — he holds a $14.9MM player option for 2026/27 but is considered a virtual lock to opt out, since he has made a strong case for a long-term deal and a starting salary far exceeding $14.9MM. The 27-year-old, who is currently sidelined due to a grade 2 left gastrocnemius strain, averaged 26.6 points, 6.3 assists, and 5.2 rebounds per game in his first 23 outings this season, with a .507/.365/.873 shooting line.
As good as he has been, there have been some observers who are skeptical about the Lakers building their post-LeBron roster around two offense-first guards in Doncic and Reaves — it sounds like Paul is among them.
According to McMenamin, Reggie Berry of AMR Agency, one of Reaves’ representatives, approached Paul during Tuesday’s game vs. the Hawks and talked to him for about five minutes. While sources tell ESPN that the two men discussed Paul’s podcast comments about Reaves, James insists it’s a non-issue between him and his Lakers teammate.
“AR knows how I feel about him,” James said to McMenamin. “All you got to do is look at us on the bench. Me and AR talk every single day. So, AR knows how I feel about him and I hope AR – or his camp – don’t look at me and think this is words from me are coming through Rich. Rich has his perspective of what he sees, I have my perspective. I’m a grown man, he’s a grown man and I think people should realize that grown men can say whatever the f–k they want to say and it shouldn’t reflect somebody else is saying it.”
Jackson, meanwhile, admitted on Wednesday that he also heard Paul’s podcast remarks, but the Grizzlies big man laughed them off, per Joe Vardon of The Athletic.
“There’s just a lot of podcasts,” Jackson said. “At first I didn’t think it was real. You have to figure out if its real usually now, and I’m not as versed technology wise as these people younger than me. I was figuring out of it’s AI, deep-fake, all that stuff. That’s all I had, I didn’t really have much of a reaction.”
Franz Wagner Poised To Return For Berlin Game
Magic forward Franz Wagner isn’t on the injury report for the team’s game against the Grizzlies on Thursday in Berlin and will be available to make his return from a high ankle sprain, tweets Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel.
Wagner injured his left ankle in a December 7 matchup with New York and has missed Orlando’s past 16 games as a result of the injury. In 23 full games prior to Dec. 7, he had averaged 23.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.2 steals in 34.5 minutes per night, with a .487/.354/.823 shooting line.
The timing of Wagner’s return is especially meaningful since he and his brother – and Magic teammate – Moritz Wagner were born in Berlin. Thursday’s game represents the first time the NBA has played a regular season game in Germany, and the Wagner brothers have appreciated getting the opportunity to show off their hometown to teammates this week, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic.
Fans in Berlin will get the chance to see both Wagners in action on Thursday, as Moritz made his long-awaited return from an ACL tear on Sunday. Thursday’s game will be just his second outing since he suffered that injury in December of 2024.
“It felt awesome,” the big man said after Sunday’s contest, according to Beede. “When you work so hard behind the scenes and you get to see the fans, you get to see the game live but you’re really not participating, to be able to engage after such a long time, it’s really cool and very fulfilling.”
The Magic have dealt with a series of injuries affecting key players during the first half of the season, but have managed to hold onto a top-six spot in the Eastern Conference with a 22-18 record.
Even with the Wagner brothers both back on the court, Orlando isn’t quite at full strength. Guard Jalen Suggs will miss a sixth consecutive game on Thursday due to a right knee MCL contusion.
Pacific Notes: Booker, Brooks, Hayes, Miller
Suns guard Devin Booker isn’t getting any love from the fans in terms of All-Star voting. The latest returns have Booker ranked 17th among vote-getters in the Western Conference.
Booker isn’t particularly surprised, even though he’s having a strong season. He’s averaging 25.3 points and 6.4 assists per game.
“There are some super big market teams,” he told Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic. “There are guys from different countries that have a whole country behind them. I kind of understand the process, but am I playing better than a lot of guys? For sure, but that’s not the setup.”
Teammate Grayson Allen feels Booker is being slighted by the voting public.
“He is the engine for our team,” Allen said. “Everyone knows he can score the ball, but this year, his play-making has been great. Assists, hockey assists, everything, he is the head of the snake for our team. We’ve surprised a lot of people this year and being the best player on this team, we’re not successful without him. Maybe the team success will help him out. I don’t know. I feel like he’s done enough individually to make it every year.”
Booker has made the All-Star team four times in his career.
Here’s more from the Pacific Division:
- Suns wing Dillon Brooks is two technical fouls away from a league-imposed one game suspension. Brooks picked up his 14th technical foul against Miami on Tuesday. Brooks’ latest infraction came when he shoved Heat forward Norman Powell (YouTube video link). An automatic suspension is issued when a player reaches 16 technicals and he receives an additional suspension for every two technicals he receives after reaching that threshold. No other NBA player has more than nine techs at this point.
- Jaxson Hayes underwent an MRI on his left hamstring on Tuesday, according to Lakers coach JJ Redick. Hayes told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin (Twitter link) on his way into the arena that he has experienced tightness in the hamstring for more than a week. Hayes, who played 19 minutes against Sacramento on Monday, hopes to be back in the lineup as soon as next game if the MRI comes back clean.
- Clippers two-way player Jordan Miller is doing his best to earn a standard contract. His minutes have spiked in the last five games and he’s averaged 11.8 points and 3.4 rebounds per game during that stretch, including a 21-point outing against Brooklyn and a 14-point performance against Charlotte. “I know what I’m capable of,” Miller told Janis Carr of the Orange County Register. “I played Summer League twice, got first-team honors, so it’s just like going out there and showing everybody like, ‘I belong here now.’ That’s really the theme of the year this year. It’s just like, show everybody you belong.”
Jalen Green Close To Returning From Hamstring Strain
Jalen Green‘s first season with the Suns has been a washout so far due to a right hamstring strain. That could soon change.
Suns coach Jordan Ott said on Tuesday that Green is “there” in terms of returning from the injury that has limited him to two games this season, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic reports.
“We’ll just keep it moving in the right direction, but he’s taking steps every day,” Ott said. “Continue to assess, but he’s moving in the right direction.”
Green participated in a 5-on-5 scrimmage during the team’s morning shootaround on Tuesday.
“Being out for so long, we’re going to be as cautious as we can, but knowing that he’s itching to get back out there,” Ott said.
Green sat out in Miami on Tuesday as the Suns began a six-game road trip and won’t play against the Pistons on Thursday. However, he’s expected to return at some point during the trip. Phoenix plays the Knicks on Saturday and the Nets on Monday. The road trip winds down with games against the Sixers next Tuesday and the Hawks next Friday.
The hamstring has been an ongoing problem in 2025/26 for Green, who initially suffered a strain early in training camp, then aggravated it during his ramp-up process in mid-October. The 23-year-old sat out the first eight games of the regular season, played 23 minutes in his debut in early November, then aggravated the injury again a couple days later about seven minutes into his second game.
On Dec. 22, the Suns provided an update that indicated Green would miss at least two or three more weeks.
Green was traded from Houston to Phoenix over the summer as part of the Kevin Durant mega-deal. He’s earning about $33.6MM in ’25/26 in the first season of a three-year, $105MM rookie scale extension that includes a $36MM player option for the ’27/28 campaign.
Green will provide another big-time scoring option for the surprising Suns, who are 24-16 after falling to the Heat on Tuesday. He averaged 21 points and 3.4 assists in his final season with Houston.
Community Shootaround: 65-Game Eligibility Rule
Imagine All-NBA teams without Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Anthony Edwards, Victor Wembanyama and Stephen Curry.
No need to tax your brain. There’s a real possibility that each of those superstars, as well as several others, won’t be eligible for postseason awards this season.
The 65-game rule built into the most recent Collective Bargaining Agreement prohibits players who don’t take the court for at least that many regular season games from most postseason honors.
The spirit of the rule, if you will, was to discourage load management and tanking. However, the frequency of injuries across the league could severely impact those awards, which include Most Valuable Player, Defensive Player of the Year, Most Improved Player, the All-NBA teams and the All-Defensive teams.
Jokic will almost certainly not qualify this season, as he’s currently rehabbing a knee injury that will keep him out a month.
Doncic has already missed seven games. Antetokounmpo and Wembanyama are teetering on the brink, having missed 14 games apiece. Edwards (8) and Curry (10) are also in danger of failing to meet the criteria, considering the season is just approaching the halfway point.
There are some minor exceptions to the rule – for example, a player who falls short of the 65-game minimum can also file an “Extraordinary Circumstances Challenge” in an effort to regain his award eligibility. But it’s likely that if a player doesn’t suit up for 65 games, they’ll be disqualified for those coveted awards.
There are also, of course, some financial implications regarding the awards, such as qualifying for super-max extensions.
The flip side is that the league wants to give its paying customers the best product possible. All too often, fans are paying big bucks, only to see their favorite players sitting in street clothes due to a minor ailment or load management.
That brings us to today’s topic: Do you like the 65-game rule for postseason awards? If not, what would be a fairer system for eligibility – should the rule be tweaked or scrapped altogether?
Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.
Torrey Craig Signs With Sydney Kings
Jan. 13: Craig has officially signed with the Sydney Kings, Uluc tweets.
Jan. 12: Free agent forward Torrey Craig is in advanced contract discussions with the Sydney Kings of the National Basketball League, sources tell Olgun Uluc of ESPN. The NBL consists of nine Australian teams and one based in New Zealand.
According to Uluc, Craig is expected to join Sydney for the remainder of the 2025/26 NBL season, which runs through February 20. The NBL playoffs (technically called the finals) are in March and April.
Craig has spent the past eight years in the NBA. He was waived by the Bulls in February and signed with the Celtics for the remainder of the ’24/25 campaign a few days later.
The 35-year-old expressed interest in re-signing with Boston in May, but the Celtics chose not to retain him over the offseason and he didn’t land with any other NBA clubs either. Craig represented Team USA for a pair of AmeriCup qualifying games in November as he auditioned for teams around the globe.
After going undrafted out of the University of South Carolina Upstate in 2014, Craig spent three seasons in the NBL, Uluc notes. He used that stint as a springboard into a long NBA career.
In 458 career regular season appearances, including 171 starts, Craig averaged 5.9 points and 3.9 rebounds in 19.5 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .452/.354/.701. The 6’5″ combo forward had a reputation as a solid defender who provided energy and hustle off the bench.
Southwest Notes: Eason, Finney-Smith, Rockets, Bey, Morant
The Rockets are missing two key regulars for Tuesday’s game against Chicago. Tari Eason (right ankle sprain) and Dorian Finney-Smith (left ankle injury management) are sitting out, Will Guillory of The Athletic tweets.
Eason also missed Houston’s loss to Sacramento on Sunday after spraining his ankle against Portland on Friday. Finney-Smith has been eased back into action after undergoing ankle surgery during the offseason.
Here’s more from the Southwest Division:
- The Rockets had an added inconvenience prior to their game against Sacramento on Sunday, John Hollinger of The Athletic reports. Unavailable to book their preferred hotel in Sacramento because the Lakers and Knicks had taken all the rooms, the Rockets stayed in San Francisco and then bused 85 miles to the Kings’ home arena on Sunday afternoon. As Hollinger notes, the Rockets have played 23 of their first 36 games on the road, tying an NBA record. That includes 11 road contests since Dec. 15, which gives them at least a partial excuse for their poor outing against the Kings.
- Pelicans forward Saddiq Bey (right hip flexor strain) has been upgraded to probable for Tuesday’s game against Denver, Guillory tweets. Bey has missed six games due to the injury. Bey, who is in the second year of a three-year deal, has averaged 15.1 points and 5.9 rebounds after missing last season due to a torn ACL.
- Grizzlies guard Ja Morant, the subject of heavy trade rumors since it was reported earlier this month the team was listening to offers for him, could return to action this week. The Grizzlies are playing the Magic in Berlin on Thursday and London on Sunday. Coach Tuomas Iisalo said the calf bruise that has sidelined Morant for five games is progressing to the point where there’s “a chance” that Morant will be available for one or both of those international contests, according to The Athletic’s Joe Vardon.
Anthony Davis Won’t Undergo Hand Surgery, Still A Trade Candidate
6:04pm: Davis won’t require hand surgery after all, Charania tweets. He received a second opinion from specialist Dr. Steven Shin in Los Angeles on Tuesday and will be reevaluated in six weeks. The report was later confirmed by the team in a tweet.
1:12 pm: There’s some optimism about Davis’ ability to return to the court before the end of March even if he undergoes surgery on his injured hand, tweets Marc Stein of The Stein Line.
The idea that surgery would be season-ending may be the aspect of ESPN’s reporting that Davis took exception to. Shortly after Charania published his report, Davis posted a tweet stating, “Y’all better stop listening to all these lies on these apps!”
It wasn’t clear based on that post if Davis was disputing that he’ll undergo surgery, his potential recovery timeline, or the fact that the Mavs are having renewed trade talks about him.
For what it’s worth, the wording in Charania’s full story at ESPN.com suggests that surgery would end Davis’ season only if he remains in Dallas, since the Mavs would have little incentive to bring him back down the stretch if they’re lottery-bound.
12:10 pm: Mavericks big man Anthony Davis will likely undergo surgery to repair ligament damage in his left hand, sources tell ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link). According to Charania, a surgical procedure would sideline Davis for “several” months and could essentially end his season.
However, Charania reports in a follow-up tweet that the injury hasn’t resulted in Davis being removed from the trade block. In fact, sources tell ESPN that the Mavericks have reopened trade discussions with multiple teams who hold interest in the 10-time All-Star.
As Charania explains, a team that makes a trade for Davis could aim to get him back in action for or during the playoffs while also making him part of its plans for 2026/27 and beyond.
Davis sustained the hand injury late in the fourth quarter during last Thursday’s loss at Utah. His hand appeared to bend back at an odd angle while defending Utah star Lauri Markkanen on a drive (YouTube link). Reporting on Friday indicated that Davis had sustained ligament damage in the hand and that he was seeking multiple medical opinions as he weighed surgical and non-surgical treatment options.
While Davis was facing an extended absence either way, the expectation was that taking the surgical route would result in a longer-term layoff.
Despite a career résumé that includes four first-team (and one second-team) All-NBA nods, a championship, and a spot on the league’s 75th anniversary team, Davis’ trade value had declined this season due to his ever-growing injury history, his age (33 in March), his maximum-salary contract (which pays him $54.1MM this season), and his reported desire for an offseason contract extension. His current deal runs through at least next season, with a $62MM player option for 2027/28.
If the Mavs trade Davis at this year’s trade deadline, his inability to suit up right away will further diminish his value on the market, so the front office would be selling low. Still, former general manager Nico Harrison, who made Davis the centerpiece of last year’s shocking Luka Doncic trade, is no longer employed by the Mavs, and the current decision-makers in Dallas – led by interim co-GMs Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi – are presumably less attached to the star forward/center.
Atlanta and Toronto have been the teams most frequently linked to Davis since the regular season began, with the Hawks considered a more viable trade partner for Dallas since creating future cap flexibility by trading Trae Young to Washington. If the Hawks do make an offer for Davis, they wouldn’t be able to include either CJ McCollum or Corey Kispert as salary-matching pieces, since those two players can’t be “re-aggregated” in a trade prior to the February 5 deadline.