The Trae Young Trade Signals An Anthony Davis Trade is Coming?
The NBA trade market doesn’t usually move in clean, predictable steps. It leaks. It simmers. It produces weeks of “framework” chatter, then detonates with a deal that makes every other rumor suddenly feel real.
That’s what happened today.
In a move that immediately reshapes multiple front offices’ next decisions, Trae Young has been traded to the Washington Wizards, with CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert heading back to Atlanta, with no draft picks reported in the exchange. It’s a stunningly light return for a four-time All-Star and one of the most productive offensive engines of his era—and it’s also the clearest signal yet that Atlanta is done straddling timelines.
Now the spotlight swings to the next domino that has been hovering for weeks: Anthony Davis and the Dallas Mavericks.
Because if Atlanta’s long-standing obstacle to chasing Davis was “we can’t have Trae’s money and AD’s money at the same time,” then that obstacle is gone. And once it’s gone, the rest of the league knows what that means: Dallas’ Anthony Davis situation has entered the danger zone—the part of the calendar where leverage can evaporate fast.
The Deal: Trae Young to Washington, Atlanta Gets McCollum and Kispert
The basic structure is simple:
Wizards receive: Trae Young
Hawks receive: CJ McCollum, Corey Kispert
No draft picks were mentioned in the show discussion
If you’re Atlanta, it’s the end of a franchise era. As discussed on the Locked On Mavericks show, even Hawks coverage framed it as a strange ending for one of the best players in team history: multiple All-Star selections, an All-NBA appearance, and—most notably—a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals, a milestone in a franchise history that hasn’t consistently lived in June.
So why take this kind of return?
The answer isn’t that Atlanta thinks McCollum is “better” than Trae. The answer is that Atlanta is changing what kind of team it wants to be, and this move screams two priorities:
financial flexibility
- (especially looking ahead to a cap sheet that was getting tight)
roster malleability
- (expiring money, movable contracts, optionality)
McCollum’s contract functions differently than Trae’s from a planning standpoint, and Kispert gives Atlanta a plug-and-play shooter with a known role—even if he’s not “young core” in the way fans use that phrase. The key detail is that Atlanta didn’t have to attach draft compensation to move off Trae’s money, at least based on the show’s breakdown.
That matters because it tells you the Hawks weren’t forced into a full “salary dump” posture. They chose this.
And once Atlanta chooses this, the next question becomes obvious.
Why This Immediately Points to Anthony Davis
The Trae move isn’t only a Hawks-Wizards story. It’s a market story.
On Locked On Mavs, the hosts framed it as a major unlock for an AD deal because it changes Atlanta’s internal math: no more Trae Young on the books, which means the Hawks can realistically consider adding a second major contract without breaking their cap structure beyond repair.
Shortly after, Shams Charania reportedly added more fuel by suggesting the move sets Atlanta up with the flexibility to pursue another large contract—specifically pointing to Anthony Davis as an in-season target.
That matters because, in this stage of trade season, public reporting is often not just information—it’s positioning. When league insiders start naming a destination with confidence, it’s frequently because:
a framework exists, or
a camp wants a particular destination, or
a front office wants to apply pressure to another negotiating party
And according to the show, Anthony Davis’ camp (Clutch Sports / Rich Paul) has been linked to Atlanta as a preferred landing spot.
If that’s true, then this isn’t just Atlanta “being interested.” It becomes a scenario where player preference, team flexibility, and Dallas’ own uncertainty can align quickly.
Dallas’ Problem: The AD Extension “Stalemate” is the Real Story
The loud part is trade rumors. The quiet part—and the part that actually drives urgency—is the contract.
The Athletic report discussed on the show (from Sam Amick and Christian Clark) included two key messages that sound contradictory on purpose:
1) Dallas wants to look patient
The article indicated the Mavericks are expected to keep listening to offers on Davis in the coming weeks, while also projecting that they don’t have to move him before the deadline.
That’s posture. It’s Dallas telling the league: we’re not desperate, so don’t lowball us.
Because if Dallas looks desperate, the calls become uglier fast: “Attach a pick.” “Take our bad money.” “Accept a lesser prospect.” That’s how you lose a trade.
2) Davis’ side doesn’t expect an extension to happen
The more important line from the report, as highlighted on the show: league sources say Davis’ representatives do not believe an extension agreement will be there with Dallas in the offseason.
That’s the leverage swing.
If AD’s camp believes there’s no long-term commitment coming, then every month Dallas waits increases the risk that:
the relationship becomes awkward
the trade market senses Dallas has to act
the return worsens because other teams wait for Dallas to blink
The show also noted that Rich Paul has encouraged the Mavericks to be more aggressive in addressing Davis’ market now—which is essentially a polite way of saying: if you’re not extending him, don’t drag this out.
For Dallas, this becomes a dangerous two-front negotiation:
Negotiate with other teams without appearing desperate
Manage AD’s camp without creating a public standoff that screams “forced trade”
Why Atlanta Makes Sense as the “Cleanest” Trade Partner
The Locked On Mavs hosts laid out the template Dallas seems to want in an AD deal:
expiring contracts
- (cap relief, flexibility, tax management)
a young flyer
- (someone to develop)
a draft pick
- (or multiple)
Atlanta can plausibly offer all three categories.
From the show’s trade math, the Hawks have a pile of expiring money and flexibility, with names like Kristaps Porziņģis and Luke Kennard referenced as expiring contracts that could function as the salary ballast in a deal. The appeal for Dallas isn’t “Porziņģis is the future.” It’s that expirings let Dallas reset financially, avoid punishing tax/repeater consequences, and create roster pathways.
Then comes the “young flyer” element—Zaccharie Risacher was discussed as the premium version of that concept, while Ace Newell was mentioned as an alternative if Atlanta refuses to include Risacher.
That distinction matters:
If Atlanta includes Risacher, Dallas can sell the deal as “we turned AD into a real long-term piece.”
If Atlanta excludes Risacher and offers Newell + picks, Dallas might prefer the cap relief plus future capital route.
The show even suggested that if Atlanta uses a lower-salary prospect (like Newell) instead of Risacher, it could open extra financial breathing room for Dallas—potentially helping Dallas stay below harsh tax/apron lines and creating room to convert a player to a standard contract.
In other words: Atlanta offers multiple ways to make the money and the roster logic work, which is what you need in a high-profile trade.
The Three-Team Concept: Wizards Get Trae, Hawks Get AD, Mavs Get Flexibility
One of the cleanest storylines emerging from the discussion is the possibility of structuring this as a larger, coordinated sequence:
Wizards get Trae Young (done)
Hawks pivot to acquiring Anthony Davis
Mavs receive expirings + young piece(s) + draft capital
The show went as far as sketching a three-team structure where Atlanta effectively pivots from Trae to AD, while Dallas uses Atlanta’s expirings and assets to reshape its timeline around Cooper Flagg and long-term flexibility.
Whether that exact three-team construction happens is less important than the broader point: the market now has a plausible pathway where everyone gets something they want, which is how blockbuster trades get completed.
Other Suitors Mentioned: Warriors and Bucks “Interest,” But With Complications
The Athletic report also mentioned additional teams in the orbit.
Golden State Warriors
Golden State’s issue is simple: the only way the money makes sense is through big contracts—names like Jimmy Butler or Draymond Green were discussed as the core salary pieces. But the show suggested the Warriors’ appetite to include those specific players is uncertain, and without them, matching AD’s salary gets extremely difficult.
That’s why the Warriors rumors often stall at the same point: interest exists, but the “real” deal requires a painful sacrifice.
Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee’s “interest” was framed as notable, but the logic is messy. A Bucks deal likely involves taking back future money—players like Kyle Kuzma and Myles Turner were mentioned in the conversation—rather than clean expirings.
For Dallas, that creates a problem: if you take back long-term money, you should demand more draft capital. And Milwaukee’s ability to outbid with picks is always limited by what they’ve already moved in previous win-now swings.
So while Milwaukee interest might be real, Atlanta’s offer can be structurally cleaner for Dallas if Dallas’ top priorities are flexibility and a young cornerstone swing.
The Hidden Driver: Dallas Can’t Let This Become a Summer Soap Opera
Dallas can technically wait. But waiting has a cost.
If AD’s camp believes an extension isn’t coming, and if Clutch is already pushing Dallas to engage the market, then taking this into the offseason risks turning into:
constant “will he/won’t he” headlines
negotiations framed as a standoff
other teams treating Dallas like a distressed seller
That’s how you lose leverage.
It’s also how you end up making a trade you don’t want to make—on terms you didn’t choose.
So even if Dallas publicly says it can be patient, the incentives point the other way: act while you can still claim you’re acting by choice.
What Happens Next: Watch the Injury Report, Then Watch the News Cycle
One of the most practical points raised on the show was simple: in today’s NBA, availability often becomes a tell.
If Anthony Davis suddenly appears on an injury report with something vague—rest, contusion, soreness—people will read it as trade-related caution even if it’s legitimate. And if he continues playing uninterrupted, it might indicate Dallas isn’t at the one-yard line yet.
Either way, the league now has a new rhythm:
- Trae trade resets Atlanta’s books
- Shams signals Atlanta’s intent
- The Athletic signals Dallas/AD extension uncertainty
- Everyone waits for the next “real” report—terms, teams, timing
And once that report drops, deals tend to move fast.
