Hawks Pursue Anthony Davis, Mavericks Wait for Kyrie

The Hawks are "very intrigued" by a possible trade for Anthony Davis, but Dallas may slow any deal until it sees Kyrie Irving back on court with Victor Flagg and Davis together. As Marc Stein reported, "the Mavericks have yet to see Flagg, Davis and Irving play together for one second," and Irving is still on the comeback trail from an ACL surgery. Davis carries a $54 million cap hit and carries injury history, which complicates trade talks. Merlin senses a delicate balance of risk and reward. Dallas sits 12 and 21 and could pivot if Irving does not return by the Feb 5 trade deadline, yet patience could reveal whether the trio has chemistry. Atlanta could emerge as a real suitor, and names like Zaccharie Risacher linger as possible bait.