The Dallas Mavericks are reportedly willing to wheel and deal ahead of the NBA trade deadline on Feb. 5.
During an appearance Friday on the DLLS Mavs Podcast (h/t HoopsHype.com), NBA insider Marc Stein said the Mavs are “not discouraging anyone’s calls” and they are “open for business.”
Stein’s revelation comes as little surprise given that the Mavericks have struggled to a 12-23 record so far this season.
While Dallas is still technically in the playoff race just 2.5 games behind the final postseason play-in spot, the team currently has the third-worst record in the Western Conference.
In many respects, the Mavs’ drop-off from championship contender to Western Conference cellar dweller coincided with the shocking decision to trade Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers last season.
Dončić led Dallas to the NBA Finals in 2024, only to get traded to L.A. the following season in exchange for a package headlined by likely future Hall of Famer Anthony Davis.
Davis is still highly productive when healthy, averaging 20.1 points, 10.7 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.2 steals per game this season, but injuries have limited him to only 17 contests.
Given that he is 32 years of age and has a lengthy injury history, Davis stands out as the Mavs’ most logical trade candidate.
Last month, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Davis is expected to be a “critical trade target of several teams,” including the Detroit Pistons, Atlanta Hawks and Toronto Raptors.
If the Mavericks are willing to move Davis, it is also fair to wonder if they would make other veterans such as Klay Thompson, P.J. Washington, Naji Marshall, D’Angelo Russell and Daniel Gafford available.
Also, future Hall of Fame guard Kyrie Irving has yet to play this season after tearing his ACL last season, but he could potentially be of interest to a contending team if there is a belief he can return and play effectively at some point this season.
It is clear that 2025 No. 1 overall draft pick Cooper Flagg is the future of the organization, so shipping out veterans and bringing in as many quality pieces for the future as possible may be the Mavs’ best course of action.
