With Anthony Davis trade speculation swirling, the Atlanta Hawks have been listed as a top suitor for the 32-year-old. Last week, though, the hope of trading for him came crashing down, or at least fans thought it did, when he injured his hand. On Tuesday, ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania reported that AD will "likely" need surgery, which you'd think would end all trade talks, but that hasn't been the case.
Not only did Charania add that Dallas is having "renewed" trade talks regarding Davis with "multiple interested teams," but Marc Stein said that there is "optimism" the big man could return sometime in March, even if he does have surgery.
All of that is to say that you can't rule out a pre-deadline trade to the Hawks. Fans can assume that Atlanta is among the teams still discussing an AD trade. Regardless of how you feel about that or not, it's hard to argue that when healthy, Davis can be a game-changer for the team's aspirations of making a deep playoff run. Of course, his health is key.
The Hawks could still take a swing at AD once they get some more clarity about the ligament damage in his hand.
There is some optimism in Dallas that Anthony Davis could return at some point in March even if he is forced to undergo surgery on his left hand, league sources tell @TheSteinLine and @DLLS_Sports. pic.twitter.com/V77ajceiP0
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) January 13, 2026
There is 'optimism' Anthony Davis could return this season
Trading for AD is one thing, but trading for an injured AD is another. It'd turn a risky move into an even riskier one, as no matter how dominant he is as a two-way player, he can't escape the injuries. Let's say Atlanta trades for him, and he returns in March. The Hawks couldn't bank on him still being available once the postseason starts.
But if he were healthy, it would be fun to see what Atlanta could do in the postseason. It will be fun to see what the Hawks can do regardless, which isn't a sentiment that fans could've imagined they'd have now that the Trae Young era is over. The team embraced their defensive identity when Young was out, and imagine what it'd be like to add Davis, one of the best defensive big men in the league, into the mix.
You can understand why Atlanta is one of the teams interested in AD, as the allure of the player that he is can be too tempting to ignore. It seemed like his latest injury would end that interest, at least during the season, but luckily for Davis, there is a chance he will play again this season. That belief could sway the Hawks to trade for him, potentially at somewhat of a discount, given he's hurt.
So, for now, the speculation is back on.