Nine months ago, the Dallas Mavericks bet the house, the farm, and the future on a single, seismic move: trading away their 25-year-old generational superstar, Luka Dončić, for Anthony Davis. It was meant to be the masterstroke that instantly transformed a perennial contender into an unstoppable champion, with Davis serving as the defensive anchor and co-star to Kyrie Irving. Today, that gamble has not merely failed; it has violently imploded. The fallout is an organizational disaster so profound that the franchise is reportedly gearing up for a full-on “nuclear rebuild,” a public admission that the biggest trade in team history has become an unprecedented catastrophe.
With the team limping to a 3-8 start and their season spiraling into chaos, the first head has already rolled, with the firing of former General Manager Nico Harrison. But the quiet whispers in the front office have now become deafening roars of necessity: the Mavericks are exploring trading not just Anthony Davis, but Klay Thompson, and eventually, the newly injured Kyrie Irving, all to clear the slate and salvage a future built around their sole remaining asset of value, young star Cooper Flag. The entire core assembled to win now is set for liquidation. The ultimate prize? A potential top pick in the rumored “historic” 2026 NBA draft.
The Centerpiece Crumbles: Anthony Davis’s Stunning Decline
The most urgent and painful part of this crisis is the stunning collapse of Anthony Davis’s trade value. When the Mavericks acquired him, they envisioned a perennial MVP candidate, a defensive fortress who had once anchored a championship team. What they have received is a 32-year-old star who has missed six straight games with a left calf strain and appeared in only 14 out of 44 possible games since joining the team in February—a consistency rate of less than one-third.
The situation is compounded by a bitter irony the front office cannot escape. The Mavericks reportedly moved Luka Dončić in part over concerns about his conditioning. Yet, their new franchise centerpiece, Anthony Davis, arrived at training camp shockingly out of shape after having eye surgery for a detached retina in the offseason. During recovery, he packed on an alarming 15 pounds, tipping the scales from 253 to 268 pounds. Even if one dismisses the most exaggerated photos, the visible change in his physique was undeniable. Now, in November, he is suffering from soft tissue injuries—the very risk that increased exponentially by carrying that extra weight. Calf issues are a ticking time bomb for players in their 30s, and coupled with Davis’s pre-existing bilateral Achilles tendonopathy, the combination is a frightening warning sign for any team considering acquiring him.
This lack of availability and conditioning has shattered his market worth. An NBA executive recently told ESPN’s Tim McMahon that the team is unsure what they could even get for Davis now, an assessment that starkly highlights how far the star has fallen. This is the same player for whom Dallas surrendered a generational talent, and league insiders are now questioning if he’s even worth two first-round picks.
The Contract Crisis and ‘Desperation Level’ Offers
Davis’s contract is the final, crippling blow to his trade market. He is owed three years and a staggering $175 million, including $54.1 million this season, $58.5 million next, and a massive $62.8 million player option for the 2027–2028 season, which he will certainly exercise when he is 34 years old.
The contractual burden alone makes him one of the toughest stars to move in the league right now. Who is willing to take on close to $60 million per year for a veteran big man who has missed 30 of his last 44 games? The honest answer is simple: nobody is lining up. According to insiders, Dallas would likely have to attach extra draft picks just to make the deal palatable for a trade partner, an utterly humiliating reversal of fortune. The executive who spoke with McMahon didn’t mince words, adding: “You can’t go two timelines anymore. You say we’re going to take what we can get for Davis at this point. I’m not sure what they can get.”
Sports Illustrated recently outlined four possible trade scenarios, and every single one paints a picture of desperation, not parity.
Chicago Bulls: Nikola Vučević, Coby White, Jalen Smith, and a single 2026 first-round pick. This package—an aging center, a solid young guard, a rotation player, and one pick—is all that is offered for the player Dallas traded Luka Dončić to acquire.
Miami Heat: Tyler Herro, Caleb Martin, and a 2030 first-round pick. This is already considered unlikely, as the Heat are historically reluctant to trade young scoring guards for injury-prone big men.
Toronto Raptors: Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett for Davis straight up. This is considered the most realistic scenario, bringing back two younger players who fit Cooper Flag’s timeline better. But even this option falls drastically short of the value the Mavericks gave up just nine months ago.
These are not the blockbusters a top-tier star should command. They are the leftovers, the “take-it-or-leave-it” offers that confirm the franchise’s current state of imbalance.
The Necessary Fire Sale: Thompson and Irving
The commitment to a true rebuild means that Anthony Davis cannot be the only star moved. The other expensive, aging veterans must follow to completely clear the books and focus on the future.
Klay Thompson is the next logical piece to be liquidated. Even before Harrison’s firing, the Mavericks were testing the waters on a Thompson trade. His struggle this season has been shocking, averaging a career-low 8.5 points per game and shooting an abysmal 29.2% from three. For one of the greatest shooters of all time, these numbers are a complete regression. At 35, coming off an ACL and Achilles tear, and owed two more years on a $50 million contract, his value is at rock bottom. Dallas would be lucky to acquire a solid role player and a second-round pick. However, they must move him. Every minute Thompson plays is a minute lost for younger players and a wasted opportunity to see which pieces truly fit Flag’s future timeline.
Kyrie Irving is the one player who still holds real trade value, but his situation is complicated by a torn ACL that will keep him out until at least December or January, with no firm timeline in place. While a healthy Kyrie could still fetch meaningful assets—with contenders like the Clippers or Heat certainly calling—the strategic move is to wait. Dallas should allow Irving to return, prove his health and form for a month or two, and then move him near the trade deadline to maximize the return. Irving, who is under contract through 2027, will be 33 upon his return, and the front office must ask the ultimate question: Does it make sense for a rebuilding team to commit huge money to an injury-prone veteran, or is it smarter to flip him for the draft capital and young pieces necessary to truly establish a championship foundation around Flag? The answer is unequivocally the latter.
The Ultimate Prize: Tanking for the ‘Historic’ 2026 Class
This painful, necessary fire sale is not simply about damage control; it is about positioning the franchise for a shot at redemption in the 2026 NBA draft, a class that is being widely touted as one of the strongest in years—perhaps even historic.
The 2026 class is loaded with franchise-level talent, offering the co-star Cooper Flag desperately needs.
AJ Debonso: Widely considered the consensus top prospect by many scouts, Debonso is a big, skilled wing with comparisons to players like Paul George and Jayson Tatum. His mix of size, deep scoring bag, and legit playmaking vision could make him an immediate franchise cornerstone.
Darren Peterson: A 6’5” guard with smooth athleticism and a professional-level scoring touch, Peterson is lauded for his ability to score from all three levels and run an offense like a seasoned floor general. Kansas coach Bill Self even called him the best prospect he has ever recruited.
Cam Boozer: The son of Carlos Boozer, Cam is a strong, old-school forward praised for his toughness and complete inside-outside game. He is a winner who rebounds hard, finishes strong, and possesses the competitive nature that lifts an entire team.
When a draft has three or four players who can truly become generational cornerstones, tanking is not just acceptable—it’s mandatory. If Dallas can land a top-three pick, they secure a partner for Cooper Flag who shares his age, his ambition, and his timeline. This is the only way to establish a foundation that can truly contend for the next decade.
The Courage to Commit
The path forward for the Mavericks is now crystal clear, despite how agonizing it may be. They must fully embrace the strategy that worked for the Oklahoma City Thunder: trade everyone, stack draft picks, clear cap space, and patiently build a young core that grows together.
The current core is non-contending. The best-case scenario for keeping this group together is sneaking into the Play-In Tournament and getting eliminated early. That is the definition of “the worst place in basketball”—too good to land a top pick, and nowhere near good enough to chase a title. In this dangerous middle ground, the franchise would simply burn another year of Cooper Flag’s prime while the value of their veteran assets continues to plummet.
Moving Anthony Davis requires the front office to admit that the Luka Dončić trade completely backfired. Trading Kyrie Irving means letting go of all immediate playoff hopes. And bottoming out for the 2026 draft means enduring a stretch of painful losing. But it is still the smartest, most viable move available.
The Mavericks are stuck between two timelines. One path leads to years of mediocrity, while the other offers a true championship window down the line, anchored by Flag and a second elite talent from the 2026 class. Now, the new regime must show the courage to commit to the tough choice and pull the trigger on the nuclear option before this organizational catastrophe consumes the future entirely.
