[MacMahon] There is internal acknowledgment within the Mavericks franchise that Rich Paul has been aggressively persistent in pushing for an Anthony Davis extension or a trade to an extension-willing team, but Mavericks sources maintain that the team’s approach is not being altered by that pressure.
Source: https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/47191162/nba-buzz-latest-live-updates-trades-intel-league
The Dallas Mavericks do not feel pressure to trade Anthony Davis before the Feb. 5 deadline, multiple team sources told ESPN on Tuesday.
There is an acknowledgment that Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, who represents the 10-time All-Star, has pushed for the Mavs to trade Davis to a team with a willingness to sign him to a contract extension this summer.
However, Mavs sources are adamant that Paul’s preference is not the team’s priority as interim co-general managers Matt Ricardi and Michael Finley continue to aggressively explore the market for Davis, who is out indefinitely due to ligament damage in his left hand.
“Patrick [Dumont, the Mavs’ governor] is not going to sign off on a deal just to do a deal,” one source told ESPN. “Ownership doesn’t feel any pressure to do an AD deal.”
The Mavs are seeking a combination of financial relief, promising young talent and draft compensation from interested teams. Dallas’ other options include restarting trade discussions in the summer, as the Phoenix Suns did after shopping Kevin Durant before last season’s deadline, or opening next season with Davis still on the roster. Davis has a player option for the 2027-28 season.