Trade Anthony Davis? Try to win? Mavs must pick a direction. Here’s what we’re hearing – The Athletic
The Dallas Mavericks have played more home games than anyone in the NBA, but as the quarter-mark of the regular season approaches, they’re in 13th place in the Western Conference.
Wednesday’s loss to the New York Knicks dropped the Mavericks to 4-12. They haven’t been this bad early in a season since 2017-18, when they lost 14 of their first 16 games. The misery of that campaign allowed the Mavericks to get the No. 5 pick in the 2018 draft, which they used to acquire Luka Dončić.
Dončić’s time in Dallas resulted in two deep playoff runs, including an NBA Finals appearance in 2024, but it came to an abrupt end in February. Ten months after trading him, the Mavericks are back near the bottom of the West again.
At some point in the next few weeks, Dallas will need to pick a direction. The Mavericks can either prioritize getting the best possible pick in the 2026 draft — Dallas, of course, doesn’t have full control of its own first-rounder again until 2031 — or they can keep trying to be as competitive as possible.
Here’s a look at where things stand with the Mavericks as they try to move forward after general manager Nico Harrison’s firing last week.
Anthony Davis’ status
Davis has missed the Mavericks’ past 11 games with the left calf strain he suffered on Oct. 29 against the Indiana Pacers. He won’t play in either of Dallas’ games Friday or Saturday, and he is due to be re-assessed from injury sometime next week.
Since the Mavericks traded for him in February, Davis has dealt with three separate injuries: an adductor strain, a detached retina in his right eye and a strained calf. He has sat out more than twice the number of games he’s played in a Mavericks uniform (16 if you include last spring’s Play-In games), and he’s logged just 415 minutes regular-season minutes in Dallas — 90 fewer than the Mavericks’ minutes leader this season, No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg.
When Harrison was fired last week, chatter that the Mavericks could look to move Davis before the Feb. 5 trade deadline immediately started. On Wednesday, Mavericks minority owner Mark Cuban told The Athletic that Dallas won’t look to trade Davis this season because of its desire to still try to win games. Other team sources The Athletic has spoken to over the past week have indicated that the Mavericks will be opportunistic in pursuing any scenario that strengthens the roster around Flagg while stressing that the team is still in information-gathering mode as it decides on a path forward.
Before Davis plays again, the Mavericks’ medical staff must feel confident that Davis is not at risk of reinjuring his calf or suffering an even worse injury, such as an Achilles tear. Multiple NBA staffers from rival teams told The Athletic they viewed the Mavericks’ decision to hold Davis out as he pushed to return as a way to ensure his trade value didn’t sink lower than it already is.
“I think (they) are cautious with his calf so he doesn’t get injured and lose all value,” one Western Conference executive said.
Davis will turn 33 years old in March. He is owed $58.5 million next season and holds a $62.8 million player option in 2027-28. He’s a game-changing talent when he’s on the court, which hasn’t been often lately.
What about the front office?
The Mavericks appointed Matt Riccardi and Michael Finley as co-interim general managers last week. Coach Jason Kidd remains an influential voice in governor Patrick Dumont’s ear. And now, Cuban — a 27-percent stakeholder in the team — is back in the fold. He told The Athletic he is an “advisor” to governor Patrick Dumont, who “makes all the final decisions.”
While it’s been more than a week since the Mavericks officially parted ways with Harrison, this much about their search for his successor is clear: They are not rushing the process. Dumont was in China this past week tending to Sands Corporation business. As one source with knowledge of ownership’s thinking told The Athletic about the Mavericks’ GM search, “The timeline won’t determine the hire. The qualifications will determine the hire.”
It is even possible that the Mavericks’ current power structure remains in place through the Feb. 5 trade deadline.
Dennis Lindsey, a Texas native who had a successful nine-year run as the Utah Jazz’s lead executive, is a candidate Cuban has endorsed, The Athletic reported last week. Lindsey served as an advisor to the Mavericks in 2023-24, and he’s now the second-in-command with the Detroit Pistons.
Lindsey has a strong reputation across the NBA. As one former league executive who’s worked with him put it, “Good demeanor. Knows the game. Experienced. Has sat in the seat before.”
NBA reporter Marc Stein wrote that Mavericks ownership is seeking a “willing communicator … who can comfortably update the public on the team’s plans and outlook.” That makes sense after the many public messaging missteps the Mavericks — and Harrison in particular — made after the Dončić trade.
Team sources The Athletic spoke to are hopeful whomever is tapped next can bring calmness and stability to a a franchise that has been mired in chaos — much of it self-inflicted – over the past 10 months.
