The Dallas Mavericks nonetheless consider they’ll make it work with ahead Anthony Davis.
Getting into Wednesday, the Mavericks (4-11) have been thirteenth within the Western Convention and had misplaced eight of their previous 10 video games. Amid the sluggish begin, a report surfaced that the group would discover buying and selling Davis. Nevertheless, minority proprietor Mark Cuban shut down that rumor.
Mark Cuban says the Mavericks aren’t buying and selling Anthony Davis
“We can’t. We need to attempt to win,” Cuban stated Wednesday in an electronic mail when requested if the Mavericks would commerce Davis, via The Athletic’s Joe Vardon.
A wholesome Davis would assist Dallas win extra video games. In 14 seasons, the No. 1 decide of the 2012 NBA Draft has made 10 All-Star Video games and received a championship. In 5 video games this season, the 32-year-old veteran has averaged 20.8 PPG on an above-average 52% taking pictures from the sphere and recorded 10.2 rebounds per sport and 1.2 blocks per sport.
The issue, although, is that Davis is injury-prone. He has performed in 75 regular-season video games or extra 3 times in his profession.
Since buying him in a blockbuster commerce with the Los Angeles Lakers final season, the oft-injured Davis has performed in simply 14 video games for the Mavericks. He hasn’t performed since Oct. 29 due to a left calf pressure, which can be re-evaluated in seven to 10 days, per the team.
Even when he has been enjoying, the Mavericks have nonetheless stunk. Dallas has a 2-3 file with Davis within the lineup.
Davis was imagined to kind a tandem with star guard Kyrie Irving that will maintain the Mavericks in championship competition. That imaginative and prescient might not grow to be a actuality.
Irving remains to be recovering from an ACL tear he suffered in March. While he’s making progress, it is unclear if/when the 33-year-old star will return this season.
Cuban sending the e-mail is his method of reestablishing his authority throughout the group. He is performing as an “adviser” to majority proprietor Patrick Dumont, who fired normal supervisor Nico Harrison on Nov. 11. The unpopular former GM, in fact, despatched star guard Luka Doncic to the Lakers for Davis.
Cuban helped the Mavericks make 18 playoff appearances and win one title earlier than promoting his majority stake in 2023. So, he definitely feels liable for Dallas’ lackluster product on the court docket. However the accountable factor could be admitting it could be time to commerce Davis.
The Mavericks aren’t profitable a title even when he stays wholesome, which appears unlikely. And it might be sensible to stockpile draft capital to construct round rookie ahead Cooper Flagg, the No. 1 decide of the 2025 draft.
