Trae Young reshaped his career path by committing to the Washington Wizards, one of the few franchises positioned to meet his contract demands. The move sent a clear signal across the league on how stars can secure long-term security. That decision now echoes beyond Washington, especially as questions grow around where Anthony Davis fits into the next wave of big money moves.

The Dallas Mavericks, having shifted their focus to build around Cooper Flagg, have notably been aggressive in trying to shop Davis. It provides the opportunity to increase their depth or even take on some expiring contracts. But there might be some push from Rich Paul to ensure AD has long-term stability.

“AD’s agent is reading the situation and saying: ‘Hey, it’s in my client’s best interest to get traded before this deadline.’ So I do believe there is going to come a push from that side,” Tim MacMahon reported.

Although a star labeled as injury-prone, Anthony Davis has been emphatic as the second option for the Dallas Mavericks. He’s averaging 20.4 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks in 20 games. Having played a decent amount of games thus far, his trade value is still high. There’s still no reason to believe that in the right situation, Davis can’t be effective.

Waiting till the summer means losing leverage in extension talks. Teams would have an entire season to evaluate Anthony Davis’ durability. The priority for the player and his representation is “getting paid again”.

However, is it too late for that kind of security?

Anthony Davis’ injury prolongs a possible trade

The unfortunate happened once again with Anthony Davis. During a late-game sequence against the Utah Jazz, he and Lauri Markannen clashed. Almost immediately, AD grimaced in pain, holding on to his left hand. This injury occurred just days after the veteran forward made his return from a groin setback.

So far, there has been no update from the Dallas Mavericks on the exact extent of the injury. He’s listed as day-to-day. But the teams that were contemplating trading for Davis may be looking on with immense concern.

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As it stands, Davis has missed half of the games up to this point. Moreover, since 2020, he’s only appeared in over 60 games during a regular season twice. That doesn’t bode well for Rich Paul, who might be pushing for an exit before the trade deadline. Notably, securing an extension before the summer would give Davis long-term leverage.

Without it, even dropping into free agency doesn’t warrant a max extension. Teams might hold out on giving Davis the $275 deal he is eligible to sign due to his questionable durability. With two years still left on his contract, Anthony Davis can still improve his health and boost his trade value. But the Mavericks don’t seem inclined to reward him with an extension, even if he does contribute to them.

And the more he plays, the higher the chances of Davis possibly picking up another ailment. That’s the reason Paul is pushing for a pre-trade deadline exit. Having picked up another injury, the possibility of it happening seems slim. But there might be teams that value Davis’ two-way production and are willing to manage his workload more carefully.