Reports indicate that the Atlanta Hawks could offer a trade to the Dallas Mavericks for star big man Anthony Davis. That's a call Dallas shouldn't be quick to hang up.
Anthony Davis will be out for the Dallas Mavericks' next few games with a minor groin strain suffered on Christmas Day in Dallas' loss at the Golden State Warriors. The injury issues yet another chapter of missed games for Davis, the 10-time All-Star whom Dallas traded for in February.
The center/forward hybrid has never played more than six consecutive games in a Mavericks uniform, and will now sit Dallas' Saturday matinee at the Sacramento Kings for his 17th absence in 33 games this season.
These obvious health concerns have brought about the idea of trading Davis ahead of the Feb. 5 trade deadline, but there is justification for also staying patient and seeing how Davis, star rookie Cooper Flagg and recovering point guard Kyrie Irving mesh on the floor together at the end of the season or beginning of next.
If Davis is available on the market, he'll command a solid pool of teams looking for a star big man. One of those teams is the Atlanta Hawks, who are a fringe playoff team in a wide-open Eastern Conference with point guard Trae Young.
Prime Video's NBA insider Chris Haynes recently reported that Atlanta is "very intrigued" with the idea of offering a trade to Dallas in exchange for Davis, and with the resources at the Hawks' disposal, that is not a call the Mavs should hang up immediately.
Haynes also says the Warriors are a team interested in trading for Davis, but in how the two teams are currently set up for the present and future, Atlanta would likely provide a better package for the Mavs' timeline than Golden State.
As Haynes explains, the Hawks have a few enticing roster pieces that Dallas might be interested in putting around Flagg as he grows into superstardom - including old friend Kristaps Porzingis.
But one piece of the puzzle is a more unique avenue that makes this opportunity especially noteworthy for Dallas.
The Hawks own the New Orleans Pelicans' first-round pick this season after it was traded last summer in exchange for New Orleans to draft rookie center Derik Queen. The Pelicans, despite Queen looking every bit worth the transaction, are still at the bottom of the Western Conference and project to have a top-10 draft pick at worst that would be shipped to Atlanta.
The Mavericks must try to lure that pick from the Hawks if they entertain this trade idea.
Additionally, Dallas would likely receive last year's first overall pick Zaccharie Risacher.
The 6-8 forward from France has not met expectations for what a top rookie should grow into. In Atlanta, it's been Jalen Johnson having a fantastic season that has pushed Risacher out of potentially being a No. 1 option with Young. Risacher is still just 20 years old, so perhaps a change of scenery might be beneficial for improving his serviceable potential.
He still prospects as a capable 3-and-D player with great length and athleticism. There also won't be mounting pressure on him being a star right away as Irving and Flagg have already asserted their place on that pecking order in Dallas.
Porzingis has also hit a solid stride this season when he's been healthy in Atlanta, adding to this mock trade's intrigue. Like it was in his first stint with the Mavs, KP's injury availability is a major factor, but when he's been able to perform, he has done so for the Hawks.
The 7-foot-2 stretch big is averaging 19.2 points and 5.6 rebounds on nearly 50 percent shooting and a respectable 36 percent average from three-point range. His 1.6 blocks per game are also a potential substitute for Davis' interior prowess defensively.
These player options, along with future draft picks and the weight lifted of Davis mega-loaded contract, make a trade with Atlanta worth considering for the Mavs.
The X-factor is that New Orleans pick. If it is on the table, then we could be in serious business for Davis' time in Dallas coming to an end.