Anthony Davis took on the role of the primary offensive engine for the Dallas Mavericks this past season following the trade that sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers.
The 10 All-Star remains one of the best players in the league despite missing several games due to a left abductor injury. Despite finding their way into the postseason led by Davis, the Mavericks were rewarded with the No.1 overall pick in the 2025 Draft, giving them a chance to draft Duke star Cooper Flagg.
In a trade proposal suggested by Bleacher Reports' Andy Bailey, the Mavs could explore sending Anthony Davis to the Charlotte Hornets to fully commit to rebuilding around Flagg.
Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp
Charlotte Hornets receive Anthony Davis
Dallas Mavericks receive Miles Bridges, Jusuf Nurkić, a 2027 first-round pick, a 2029 first-round pick, and a 2031 first-round pick.
"An about-face and AD trade just aren't happening under his regime. But ownership has put some guardrails around Harrison since the deal, generally trying to keep him out of the public eye and monitoring his work a little more carefully going forward," Bailey Writes."The guardrails seem high enough to wonder why he's even still there."
He adds, "And if Dallas (particularly governor Patrick Dumont) realize the best path forward is a new lead executive and a rebuild around eventual No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg, an AD trade could at least partially make up for the fact that Harrison didn't extract near enough value out of the Luka deal."
When Nico Harrison made the trade for Davis, he did so to build a contender that puts defense at the forefront. Davis remains one of the premier two-way players in the league.
However, pivoting to build around Cooper Flagg, banking on his upside, could be the ideal move for Dallas.
Flagg is a generational prospect with immense upside, and focusing on a team centered around Flagg could be a more forward-thinking move for Dallas.
That said, it's hard to imagine the Mavericks moving on from Davis unless ownership is fully committed to a long-term rebuild.