NBA Insider Urges Dallas Mavericks to Trade Anthony Davis This Summer
An NBA insider has advised the Dallas Mavericks to trade Anthony Davis this summer, claiming the team’s championship window has already closed following Kyrie Irving’s severe ACL injury.
On The Hoop Collective podcast, Tim Bontemps offered a blunt evaluation of the Mavericks’ future, suggesting that Davis should never play for Dallas again and that the franchise should move on to maximize its long-term potential.
“I’m being honest here. I don’t think Anthony Davis should ever play for the Mavericks again. He shouldn’t play the rest of the season, and they should trade him this summer,” Bontemps said.
“Nico Harrison spoke about having a three- or four-year window with this group, which included this season. But Kyrie Irving will be 33 and just suffered a major knee injury, with a player option for next year. You basically have to assume he won’t be a key contributor next season.”
“Maybe he can come back and do that, but as someone running the team, you have to assume he won’t.”
“At that point, Anthony Davis will have just one guaranteed year left on his contract and be approaching his 33rd birthday. This team has no chance of contending without a real star alongside Davis.”
The Mavericks’ season unraveled in just 30 days. After acquiring Davis in a blockbuster trade that sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas hoped that the duo of Davis and Irving could compete for a championship.
However, those plans quickly fell apart when Irving suffered a devastating knee injury, sidelining him for the rest of the season, potentially longer. With Davis also battling injury issues, the Mavericks find themselves without a legitimate route to contention, and rumors suggest that Davis might not return this season.
Bontemps highlighted the tough reality facing Dallas. His argument is based on the fact that the Mavericks’ championship window, initially envisioned as a three-to-four-year run with Davis and Irving, is rapidly closing.
Irving, set to turn 33 next season, has a player option but is unlikely to contribute significantly after such a serious injury. This leaves Davis as the only star on a roster no longer equipped to contend.
With Davis approaching 33 and having just one guaranteed year remaining on his contract, Dallas faces a difficult choice. Keeping him risks entering a season with a fragile, aging superstar and no supporting cast.
Trading him, however, would allow the Mavericks to acquire assets and begin rebuilding. Davis remains one of the NBA’s best two-way players when healthy, and several teams would likely be interested in acquiring him for a championship push.
Much of the blame for Dallas’ downfall is being placed on general manager Nico Harrison. His tenure has been marked by high-risk moves, including the blockbuster trade that sent Doncic, arguably the league’s most talented young player, to the Lakers in exchange for an injury-prone Davis.
Harrison also committed heavily to Klay Thompson in the offseason, a decision that now seems even worse given Dallas is no longer a true contender. Thompson himself will likely regret the situation, as Dallas has gone from title hopefuls to a team with no clear direction in just a month.
Jeanie Buss had already shown signs of dissatisfaction in Los Angeles, and now Davis finds himself in an even worse situation. With free agency approaching and his prime years fading, he faces a crucial decision—should he force a trade to a team with a legitimate shot at a title?
Dallas is at a pivotal moment. Should they try to salvage this failed experiment by adding another star to pair with Davis? Or should they cut their losses, trade him while he still holds value, and start rebuilding? If Bontemps’ advice is to be believed, the Mavericks’ best move might be to move on, accept their mistakes, and begin planning for the future.