A 120-96 loss to Minnesota on Monday was the Dallas Mavericks‘ eighth loss in the last 10 games. It showed a dire situation in Dallas, where many were touting them as a Western Conference contender before the season, behind their big three of Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis, and No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg.
Irving was already out due to an injury to start the season. Davis suffered a calf injury halfway through the regular season, keeping him on the sidelines and leaving the Mavs looking for answers on how to win without two of their top stars. Irving could return from his injury in January.
Davis, 32, is continuing to recover from his injury with an evaluation expected next week. Without him, his team has a subpar 4-11 record in the stacked Western Conference. With high expectations for No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg and Davis dealing with another injury in his career, it has led to speculation that the Mavs could move on from the All-Star big man.
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On Wednesday, ESPN’s Tim McMahon reported that “Davis is expected to be shopped,” with Dallas moving forward with its plans to build a team around Flagg.
The Mavericks franchise moved on from owner Nico Harrison earlier this month, firing him after the debacle that was last season’s Luka Doncic trade to bring Davis over to the Mavs.
Despite that move, the team landed the top pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and went with a potential franchise superstar in the 18-year-old Flagg. So far, he appears to be on the right track towards becoming one of the league’s future stars.
The Mavs will likely want to acquire other assets or players to build a contending team, whether it’s future draft picks or emerging young players who could fit well in their system alongside Flagg.
Based on Spotrac contract data, there’s a financial implication for Dallas with Davis. His contract includes $54.1 million owed this season, and $58.5 million in 2026-27. There’s another $62.8 million owed on a player option for 2027-28.
Meanwhile, Davis, an NBA champion with the Lakers, participated in just five games this season, averaging a team-leading 20.8 points and 10.2 rebounds per game.
While Davis has faced injury adversity in his career, he’s continued to be one of the league’s steady All-Stars. Before this recent calf injury, he had four straight games with double-doubles and three games in which he filled up his stat sheet with points, rebounds, assists, blocks, and steals. He certainly could bring value to a contending team in the East or West.
Meanwhile, Flagg, a former Duke Blue Devils star, is averaging 15.5 points to lead all Mavericks, and recording 6.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. Those numbers suggest they’ll keep going up as Dallas’s rookie draft pick continues to improve toward the level many believe he’ll reach in the NBA.
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