The Atlanta Hawks “are expected to be suitors” for Dallas Mavericks center Anthony Davis, per Shams Charania, and the trade to bring him in is possible in just under a week. The Tuesday morning report from ESPN’s NBA Insider also linked the Pistons and Raptors as teams expected to be in the race for the 2020 Finals-winning big man.
Davis needs to move on from Dallas, and it’s not entirely his fault. He wasn’t the one who pulled the trigger on the ill-fated Luka Doncic trade, yet he is the face of Dallas sports’ most heartbreaking moment. The Mavs should move Davis to gain picks and retool for the Cooper Flagg era, but even if they plan to compete moving forward, Davis has to go for the city to move on from the Luka trade.
Given the situation, Davis’s asking price should be relatively low. Dallas has just one first round pick remaining this decade, their 2026 pick. Any draft capital, even late firsts from a playoff-bound Hawks team, would be greatly appreciated as Dallas enters the most daunting situation in the NBA: a rebuild with no assets.
Davis is also on quite a contract. He is guaranteed through the end of the 2026-27 season with a player option for the following season. He has a $63 million player option the following season, but you can safely assume he’ll accept this barring a long-term extension – he’s not getting $63 million at 34 years old anywhere else.
Davis can be acquired as early as Monday
There is one trade for Davis that makes the most sense for all parties involved.
Porzingis gets sent back to Dallas, where he can go from the disappointing running-mate to Luka to a fun stretch five on a tanking team. Maybe Mavs fans will be happy to have Porzingis to remind them of all the fun times they had with their old star duo while the Flagg era develops.
Kennard is a useful player, but is on an expiring $11 million deal. He is also expendable after Vit Krejci’s breakout, as Krejci looks like a better, more well-rounded version of Kennard. Like Porzingis, however, Kennard will bring spacing and ball-handling to a team that could desperately use them.
The Hawks need just a little bit more salary, so they can pick between N’Faly Dante and Keaton Wallace. Dante’s contract is entirely non-guaranteed going forward, so if the Mavs don’t care for either player, they can move off Dante without penalty. Wallace, however, might be a fun fit for the Mavs. He is from Dallas and has a veteran presence that could be useful in a young, disgruntled Mavs locker room.
Dallas gets a first round pick for their troubles, although don’t expect a good pick to convey – 2029 will be Jalen Johnson’s prime.
Trading for Davis is risky. He isn’t much healthier than Porzingis, and he isn’t a perfect fit for Atlanta’s timeline. But the risk of bringing him on is warranted, as the Hawks will never win a championship with Porzingis as their star center. Davis has been a top-20 player in the NBA on a consistent basis and provides the defense and rebounding Atlanta desperately needs.
If the Hawks are serious about investing in this era, this is the gutsy move they have to take.