As the Dallas Mavericks weigh their best course of action regarding Anthony Davis’ future, one rumored dark-horse Eastern Conference suitor appears to be out of the running for the superstar big man.
On Thursday, NBA insider Marc Stein provided key intel on Dallas’ approach to handling Davis trade discussions, rebuffing chatter involving the 10-time All-Star’s hometown team.
NBA Insider Shuts Down Anthony Davis-to-Bulls Speculation
While the Chicago Bulls began the season as one of the East’s most promising teams, getting off to a hot 5-0 start, they have since cratered, losing seven straight games to drop to 11th in the conference (9-14).
As such, calls for the Bulls to add a win-now player to their Josh Giddey-led young core, such as Davis, who was born and raised in Chicago, have faded. According to Stein’s Thursday report, rumors connecting the 32-year-old to the franchise never had much merit anyway.
“There has been no evidence to date to suggest that the Bulls plan to act upon persistent speculation that they harbor trade interest in Mavericks big man (and Chicago native) Anthony Davis,” Stein wrote.
Chicago, which ranks just 24th in offensive rating (111.9) and 23rd in defensive rating (117.3), could surely benefit from a two-way paint presence of Davis’ caliber. However, between his extensive injury history and the Bulls being far from contending even in the wide-open East, the run-and-gun squad may not be the best match for his services.
Not to mention Chicago’s long-standing reluctance to make all-in moves, having finished between sixth and 11th in the East in six straight seasons.
As for the Mavericks, who find themselves in a similar position out West, sitting 10th in the conference (9-16), they are expected to field offers for Davis cautiously. While the organization plans to prioritize building around rookie phenom Cooper Flagg, it reportedly doesn’t want to make another reckless trade similar to February’s controversial Luka Dončić deal.
“Sources continue to stress to me that it is by no means automatic that Dallas will deal Davis before the Feb. 5 trade deadline,” Stein wrote.
“… Sources with knowledge of Dallas’ thinking insist that it will not just trade him in-season for the sake of it if the offers received are deemed to be subpar in the wake of Davis’ injury woes since the 32-year-old became a Maverick.
“Davis and Kyrie Irving have only appeared in one game together since the Luka Dončić trade disaster in February and it is believed that [Mavericks owner Patrick] Dumont — knowing the trade can’t be undone and more than cognizant of its damaging aftermath given what’s transpired in Dallas over the past 10 months — wants to see more from Davis for evaluation purposes rather than rush into another deal that compounds mistakes already made.”
Davis has been limited to 10 appearances this season, having missed 14 straight games due to a left calf strain. This follows him suiting up in only 51 contests last season, making him a risky trade target.
Thus, any team that takes a big swing for the 2020 NBA Champion will likely do so with an immediate title window in mind.