The Dallas Mavericks face a limited trade market for Anthony Davis as NBA teams grow increasingly cautious about acquiring aging stars with injury concerns under the new Collective Bargaining Agreement.
The 32-year-old forward has approximately $120 million remaining on his contract. His availability issues have raised concerns among executives about committing significant salary to players with durability questions. Furthermore, teams are more reluctant to trade multiple future first round picks in a single trade.
"For a guy like Anthony Davis, it's hard to justify them getting a 35 percent max when they aren't playing a ton of minutes and games," a Western Conference executive told ESPN.
Sources expressed skepticism about a robust market for Davis this trade season. Teams are shifting toward younger, faster and deeper rosters under the new CBA restrictions.
The Mavericks already have more than $300 million committed for next season. Extensions for P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford signed earlier this year have limited Dallas' flexibility. Dallas could have second apron issues if they trade Davis and get back a lottery pick for 2026 in the deal along with the matching salary.
"They have to be very careful with what they do with AD," an Eastern Conference executive said. "They could set themselves back years with the wrong deal."
The second apron carries severe team-building penalties beyond luxury tax payments. Those restrictions have fundamentally changed how franchises evaluate star players with significant salary commitments.
"The aprons are causing people to think and act differently," the scout said. "But there will always be teams that decide to strike while the irons are hot. ...
"It's an even bigger risk-reward calculation than it has ever been."
