During this NBA trade window, all the talk has been about the Atlanta Hawks, Trae Young, and Dallas star Anthony Davis.
Young has finally been shipped out of Atlanta, joining the Washington Wizards, leaving Davis and the question of whether he will join the Hawks before Feb. 5.
How the Hawks Will Acquire Anthony Davis?
The Hawks freed up $46 million from Young’s move to the Wizards. Now they have options on how they want to acquire Davis from the Mavericks.
According to Clutch Point’s Bailey Bassett, the Hawks could give up Kristaps Porziņģis, Luke Kennard, N’Faly Dante, a first-round pick, and two second-round picks to acquire Davis.
NBA champion Davis was part of one of the most shocking trade deals in NBA history in February 2025, joining Dallas in exchange for NBA superstar Luka Doncic.
It’s safe to say that it seems like the Mavs got buyer’s remorse, with Davis’ move not blossoming into instant success and wins.
The Mavs have had injury worries of their own, with Kyrie Irving missing for an extended time and Davis struggling to stay 100% healthy for a long stretch of games.
Dallas is 12th in the Western Conference and needs something to revive their season – the Hawks and the potential arrival of Porziņģis to Dallas.
Like Davis, Porziņģis is a big man with injury problems. Still, when he’s on song and thriving, there aren’t too many centers who can dominate at all three levels of scoring and defensively.
Porziņģis was a key cog in the Boston Celtics’ 2024 NBA championship-winning season, averaging 20.1 points and 7.2 rebounds on 37.5% shooting from three.
The Latvian star has struggled with injuries this season and, most recently, suffered an Achilles tendon injury. In 17 games, he’s averaged 17.1 points and 5.1 rebounds.
Porziņģis signed a two-year, $60 million contract with the Boston Celtics in July 2023, keeping him under contract through to the end of the 2025-26 season.
With Irving expected to return at the end of January, and No.1 pick Cooper Flagg thriving in his rookie season, shouldn’t the Mavs wait to see if Davis and his teammates can play together?
The Mavericks have been prone to making rushed and non-calculated decisions in the past, and with Porziņģis’ availability as a free agent in the summer, the Mavs shouldn’t be in any rush to ship Davis.
With Davis on the court this season, the Mavs are 10-10. Without him, they are an ugly 4-15, signalling his importance to the franchise.
One rash decision has taken Dallas from the NBA Finals to the bottom of the West in two years, so it’s extra imperative they get this decision right before Feb. 5.
