A number of Eastern Conference contenders, including the Pistons, Hawks, and Raptors, are expected to be among the suitors for Mavericks big man Anthony Davis at this season’s trade deadline, reports Shams Charania of ESPN.
As Charania details, Atlanta, Toronto, and especially Detroit all look like potential playoff teams in a wide-open Eastern Conference, and may view Davis as the sort of player who could turn them into a legitimate championship contender.
Davis has battled injuries over the course of his career, especially since being traded from the Lakers to Mavericks at last season’s trade deadline. But he’s healthy now, having played in five of six games since returning from a calf strain late last month, including both ends of a back-to-back on Friday and Saturday.
In spite of a two-point outing in Oklahoma City last week, Davis has registered solid overall averages of 18.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 2.0 blocks in 28.4 minutes per night in his first five games back from that calf injury.
Potential suitors will likely be somewhat wary of Davis’ maximum-salary deal, which includes a $54.1MM cap hit this season and a $58.5MM salary in 2026/27, along with a $62.8MM player option for ’27/28. However, the Pistons, Hawks, and Raptors would each be capable of stacking contracts to send out enough outgoing salary to accommodate him.
A Detroit package would likely start with Tobias Harris‘ expiring salary ($26.6MM); Atlanta could offer Kristaps Porzingis‘ $30.7MM expiring salary; and Toronto could use RJ Barrett ($27.7MM), who has one additional year left beyond this one. Hawks guard Trae Young ($46MM) and Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley ($32.5MM) could also be trade candidates, depending on the structure of a deal.
The Pistons and Hawks would have more salary-matching leeway than the Raptors, who are operating just $1MM below the first apron and would have to match any incoming salary nearly dollar for dollar.
All three teams have plenty of tradable draft picks that could be used to sweeten potential offers. The Pistons and Raptors control all their own future first-rounders, while Atlanta has traded away its own 2027 pick but controls a pair of 2026 selections, including the most favorable of the Pelicans’ and Bucks’ first-rounders, which would be a guaranteed top-five pick if the season ended today.
Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, who represents Davis, recently met with Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi, the Mavericks’ co-interim general managers and sought clarity about the team’s plans for his client, according to Charania. The Mavs’ lead executives conveyed to Paul that they’re keeping their options open for now and will make a decision based in part on how the club performs in the next few weeks.
Dallas hasn’t ruled out the idea of hanging onto Davis and extending him during the offseason, Charania notes.