Mavericks' Anthony Davis Surgery Reprieve Fuels Trade Talk

Merlin sees a sudden shift: Anthony Davis no longer needs immediate surgery and will be re-evaluated in six weeks, moving him from a multimonth absence to a possible return this spring. That change reopens Dallas’s phone lines. Teams like Milwaukee, the Clippers, Chicago, Toronto and Atlanta are floated as fits, but Davis’s age, heavy contract and spotty availability make him a high risk, high reward pickup rather than a slam dunk addition. Merlin smells opportunity and caution in equal measure. Franchises with short windows might gamble on a healed Davis to tilt a playoff series, trading picks or expiring deals rather than long term core pieces. If Davis returns close to form, he reshapes matchups; if not, buyers will regret the price. The market will favor teams that can absorb salary and wait for a postseason payoff.