NBA Trade Rumors: Anthony Davis Lands With NY Knicks in Proposed Shocking Blockbuster

Now that the Dallas Mavericks are a hot mess once again, trade rumors are emerging fast and furious about Anthony Davis. With Nico Harrison, the man who brought him to Dallas, now deposed from the scene, it’s thought that a trade of AD will be their next big move at some point this season.

One proposed three-team deal would send Davis to the New York Knicks, and per Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, it would go like this:

NY Knicks receive:

Anthony Davis (from Mavericks)
Jaden Hardy (from Mavericks)
Brandon Williams (from Mavericks)
Dante Exum (from Mavericks)
Rights to Vanja Marinković (No. 60 in 2019, via the Brooklyn Nets)
$2.8 million trade exception (Dadiet)
$2.2 million trade exception (Kolek)

Dallas Mavericks receive:

Karl-Anthony Towns (from Knicks)
Guerschon Yabusele (from Knicks)
Tyler Kolek (from Knicks)
Pacôme Dadiet (from Knicks)
Ariel Hukporti (from Knicks)
$4 million trade exception (Dwight Powell)

Brooklyn Nets receive:

Dwight Powell (from Mavericks)
$5 million (from Mavericks)
2027 second-round pick (from Knicks)

Would the Knicks be willing to move on from the consistent 20 points and 12 rebounds production from KAT to take a chance that AD and his elite defense will be on the floor when they need him most? According to Pincus, the allure of Davis’s D might tempt them.

“(New Knicks head coach) Mike Brown built his reputation as a defensive-minded coach who has adapted (some) to modern offensive philosophies. Still, the combination of Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson may be a defensive problem with no solution.

“ The talent is undeniable offensively, but can the Knicks win at the highest level while trying to guard pick-and-rolls with the two?”

He suggests the Knicks would be a much better playoff team with the AD alignment.

As for the Mavs, it’s essentially getting the rebuild started around Cooper Flagg. While Towns is a great offensive cornerstone, his defense is unimpressive, and his age (30) suggests he can’t really be part of the Cooper Flagg timeline.

Tim MacMahon of the Hoops Collective podcast even suggests they should seriously consider trading Kyrie Irving as well, and tank to the bottom this year.

As Pincus notes, “The reality is that there's no Dončić-level return on the horizon for Davis, based on his age and durability.”

The Nets are also in full rebuild mode, and they get involved in this hypothetical deal because of their cap room, while getting a little cash and a second round pick.