Zach Lowe trades Anthony Davis to the Clippers

In the period after firing Dallas Mavericks general manager Nick Harrisonthe future of multiple Mavs appears to be up in the air. But neither player seems to have any more doubts about their immediate or long-term prospects future in Dallas than Anthony Davis.

Davis, one of the NBA’s best defenders of the past decade, was the centerpiece of Luka Doncic’s return in the February trade that ended up costing Harrison his job. Along with Max Christie and a future first-round draft pick, Davis arrived in Dallas with incredibly high expectations, given the five-time first-team All-NBA selection he was traded for. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to live up to even close to those expectations.

So with Harrison, the man who brought him to the proverbial door, he could The Mavericks send Davis packing as well? Possibly, and if they are, Zach Lowe thinks Los Angeles Clippers can be interesting and “desperate” albeit a potentially unrealistic suitor.

“(They’re) hard closed on the front apron and not that far below it, which makes the math very difficult,” Lowe said on the Zack Lowe Show. “(…) You’d have to build it around (John) Collins, (Bogdan) Bogdanovic, Brook Lopez or Derrick Jones Jr. as the third guy. And even that’s a little short of what the Clippers would have to send to stay out of the first apron. And you want to say “pick”?

https://vvv.youtube.com/vatch?v=9JJ31AK7i-U

Trading Collins, Bogdanovic and Jones, the three highest-paid Clippers outside of Kawhi Leonard and James Harden, would add $52.87 million in salary to Dallas, bringing back Davis and his $54.13 million. Along with the complications of matching aprons, Lowe said the Brooklyn Nets are actually “waiting” to jump in on a trade like this to facilitate it as a third team and get some draft picks or valuable contracts out of it.

Whether the Clippers would be willing to make such a trade remains to be seen. One of the complications, it seems, is Davis’ availability, or lack thereof.

Since joining the Mavericks more than nine months ago, Davis has been able to play in just 16 of a potential 47 games (including the 2025 Play-Ins) due to injuries that have plagued him throughout his professional career. His current injury, a calf strainhe’s also particularly difficult to determine a return schedule, and could scare off the Clippers or other potential suitors.

Davis has missed the Mavs’ last seven games, including tonight’s home opener against the Phoenix Suns.