Dallas could reset its asset pool, but this may not be the way to do it.
The Dallas Mavericks’ season could end on Friday night if they lose to the Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA Play-In Tournament. Missing the playoffs may be enough to send Nico Harrison out the door, as even Patrick Dumont can only handle so much bad press around the team.
If Harrison were to leave, would the Mavericks consider hitting a hard reset? Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey explored that possibility with a three-team trade sending Anthony Davis out the door to his hometown Chicago Bulls.
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Mar 27, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward-center Anthony Davis (3) lays the ball in over Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac (1) in the second quarter at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images / Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images
Mavericks Receive: Zach Collins, Kevin Huerter, Jonathan Isaac, a 2028 first-round pick from Chicago, a 2029 first-round pick swap from Chicago, and a top-five-protected 2030 first-round pick from Chicago
Bulls Receive: Anthony Davis and Gary Harris
Magic Receive: Nikola Vučević and a top-50-protected 2025 second-round pick from Dallas (via Philadelphia)
A trade like this would be fully starting over, and it could force the team to send Kyrie Irving out the door too. However, those first-round picks from Chicago could become very valuable.
Davis is 32 years old and has a lengthy injury history, and the Bulls have missed the playoffs eight of the last 10 seasons and haven’t made it out of the first round since 2015. Even if Davis elevates the Bulls to a playoff team, is a young core of Matas Buzelis (who the Mavericks should ask for in this deal), Coby White, and Josh Giddey enough to carry them into the 2030s? Probably not.
The 2029 pick swap would add to the jumbled pick swap between the Mavericks, Houston Rockets, and Phoenix Suns. At worst, it gives the Mavs a little extra security.
It’s hard to see why the Magic would be interested in this trade, though. Nikola Vucevic doesn’t seem like a great fit alongside Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner because of his defensive shortcomings, and the Magic just traded him away a few seasons ago. Would they really want to run it back with him, even if it means getting out of the Jonathan Isaac and Gary Harris contracts without giving up draft capital?
It’s also hard to envision the Bulls swinging the fences for a superstar like Anthony Davis, just because the Bulls’ front office hasn’t taken huge risks since that Vucevic trade.
Dallas would probably like to get more in return for Davis, considering he was the main return for Luka Doncic, and the three players they’d get back are all bad contracts. They should at least be getting a young player like Matas Buzelis back as well. And if you zoom out, is getting Max Christie, Jonathan Isaac, Zach Collins, Kevin Huerter, a 2028 unprotected first-round pick (via Chicago), a 2029 unprotected first-round pick (via Lakers), a 2029 first-round pick swap (via Chicago), and a 2030 top-5 protected first-round pick (via Chicago) worth it for Luka Doncic? Probably not.