Trade rumors are starting to swirl ahead of the start of NBA trade season on December 15 and another prominent big man could be taking center stage. Anthony Davis is expected to be a critical trade target of several teams in the Eastern Conference, including the Pistons, Hawks and Raptors according to Shams Charania of ESPN.com.
The Mavericks are exploring the trade market for several players including Davis, Gafford, Klay Thompson and D’Angelo Russell per Charania following a 9-16 start to the season.
Davis, 33, is earning $54.1 million this year and has just one more guaranteed year on his contract next season before a player option for the 2027-28 campaign. Davis is also eligible for four-year, $275 million max extension in August. Whether he can command that type of money at that age, given his injury history, is another matter. The Celtics are not expected to be involved in any bidding for Davis due to the size of his contract. However, the prospect of several top teams in the East showing interest in the big man is a sign of just how wide open most teams view the Eastern Conference this season.
Here’s a look at each of the potential trade suitors and what type of package they could offer for Davis in a hypothetical deal.
Atlanta Hawks: Former Celtic Kristaps Porzingis would likely be a part of any offer for Davis in large part due to his expiring $30.7 million contract. Atlanta could also offer up Trae Young but it’s hard to see the the Mavericks having much interest in the undersized point guard with Kyrie Irving still under contract. A combination of Porzingis, some players on mid-sized contracts (Risacher? Alexander-Walker? Kennard?) and future first round picks would probably be a starting point here. The Hawks, like other teams on this list, would also be potential suitors for Giannis Antetokounmpo but the price for Davis would obviously be far lower.
Detroit Pistons: The current top team in the Eastern Conference has an intriguing roster with plenty of promise and no bad contracts on the books. Tobias Harris ($26.6 million) would probably be a starting point to any offer and from there the Pistons would have to stack a combination of some smaller contracts (LeVert, Ivey, Holland) to get themselves in the running along with some draft capital. Whether Isaiah Stewart ($15 million) would be included in any offer would be a fascinating subplot.
Toronto Raptors: It’s hard to think anyone on this roster would be off limits outside of Scottie Barnes and some recent draft picks. There is plenty of matchable salary (Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, Jakob Poeltl) but outside of some young bench reserves, there’s not a lot here that probably appeals to a potential Mavericks rebuild from a talent standpoint. Raptors would have to go bigger on draft capital to match other teams on this list.
Final thoughts
Ultimately, there are certainly enough assets in place for any of these teams to make a serious run at Davis. The Celtics have put themselves in position to be a factor in the Eastern Conference but it’s evident one or more of their East rivals are in position to make a major upgrade in the months ahead.
