Jake Fischer of The Stein Line reported on Thursday that the Atlanta Hawks and Raptors "have been signaling that they are no longer involved in significant trade talks with the Mavericks" regarding Anthony Davis. He said interest in the 32-year-old began to "cool" after his hand injury (subscription required), which didn't need surgery but will still sideline him for a couple of weeks past the Feb. 5 deadline.
It's the news that most Hawks fans wanted to hear, as trading for AD would set the organization back, not just because of what the Mavericks could try to get in return for him, but also because of the extension (worth up to a whopping $275 million) that he'll be eligible to sign this summer.
Davis has played in only 29 games since Dallas traded for him almost a year ago in a move that was supposed to put the Mavericks closer to winning a title than they were with Luka Dončić. Nico Harrison valued what AD specifically brings to the court on the defensive end; however, one of the several things that the former GM overlooked was the big man's injury history.
Based on Fischer's report, it sounds like Atlanta made the right decision to back off talks, although that doesn't mean the Hawks won't revisit their interest in Davis between now and the deadline.
Hawks are backing off their interest in Anthony Davis
Atlanta already has an injury-prone big in Kristaps Porziņġis, who has played in only 17 games this season. It didn't take the Hawks long to learn they couldn't rely on Porziņģis, which is why they didn't sign him to an extension. He'd presumably be on the way out in an AD trade, but the team would be better off keeping KP rather than taking a swing on Davis.
It doesn't matter that AD would be the perfect fit in Atlanta — you can't count on him to stay on the floor. Availability is kind of important. Imagine what kind of disaster the front office would face if they traded for him and then locked him down to a new contract. Actually, don't imagine that, because it'd be that bad.
The Hawks need to distance themselves from AD, and luckily, it appears that they've done just that. It doesn't seem there will be any team that trades for Davis before the deadline, although his agent, Rich Paul, wants the Mavericks to trade his client, per ESPN. There is a reason for the lack of interest.
There is also no good reason for Atlanta to change its stance between now and the deadline. If AD is traded, it shouldn't be to the Hawks.