The Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns could make sense as Anthony Davis landing spots after the Dallas Mavericks landed the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft, which, in layman's terms, means the rights to sign ex-Duke Blue Devils basketball star Cooper Flagg.
Davis, Dereck Lively II, or Daniel Gafford could be on the trade block now that Flagg is Metroplex-bound.
If it’s Davis, CBS Sports’ Sam Quinn sees the Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns as potential landing spots. A Suns package would center around rerouting Durant to a third team for young pieces.
“The obvious (AD trade suitor) to me has been Sacramento because Sabonis just cannot lead a playoff-viable defense, but he can play center so AD doesn’t have to,” Quinn wrote.
“The other one is Phoenix in a three-way where Durant goes to a team that has younger stuff for Dallas.”
If Dallas is looking to move Davis and isn’t interested in bringing back Durant, there’d likely be a plan to move off of Kyrie Irving’s contract, too, at some point.
The Mavs may already be pivoting from the post-Luka Doncic trade transitional phase into the Flagg era.
As for Sacramento and Phoenix, it’s hard to envision what they’d look like with Davis. His production has fluctuated wildly, with brilliant play being flashed when he’s actually healthy enough to play. That’s plagued his career since winning the 2020 NBA bubble title in Disney World with the Los Angeles Lakers.
It’s possible he rides the pine with a new team as often as Durant has since his 2019 Achilles tear. After being brilliant for so long, Davis is uncomfortably close to salary filler in a trade now since he’s played more than 60 games once in the past five years.
How can you know what Davis is on your team at this point?
That makes the likelihood of a major return minimal for Dallas. Still, clearing the way for Flagg may be the best business decision ahead of the Duke phenom’s arrival in the Lone Star State.