Anthony Davis Trade Looms After Mavericks GM Firing

Merlin sees Dallas quietly opening a new chapter: with GM Nico Harrison gone, the Mavericks are expected to test the market for Anthony Davis ahead of the Feb. 5 trade deadline. Davis hasn’t played this season because of a calf strain, the team delayed his return until “medical metrics” cleared him, and the club recently said he’ll miss “at least” another seven to 10 days. His enormous salary under the new apron rules and Dallas’ lack of 2027–29 first-round picks all make extracting a big haul difficult. Merlin knows Davis remains a top-tier two-way star when healthy — a recent consistent double-double threat and defensive standout — but age, injury risk and contract length mute his trade value. Dallas appears to be balancing a short-term return with a long-term rebuild around Cooper Flagg; contenders will call, but expect prudence over panic.