“I knew it wouldn’t last. I knew it from the moment we first talked. Yet I still had hope…..” As Pinterest as it gets. No, these are not Nico Harrison’s words, but he might be put to think this way after all that happened in the trade. When the fans and the critics said that the Luka Doncic trade was disastrous, the Mavericks should’ve paid some heed. A win-now mindset, they said, made them take the toughest turn. Straying away from their favorite star, Dallas grieved, and they are continuing to do so. But didn’t Nico Harrison aim for the Anthony Davis trade to be a blockbuster move for the team?
The move aimed to turn around the struggling season and rebuild the team. But, well, the GM’s dream of a utopia has fallen apart. And now, as the harsh reality of Doncic’s exit, AD, Daniel Gafford, and Kyrie Irving’s injuries settle in, it’s easy to say the Dallas Mavericks are in deep trouble. In such a scenario where the Mavs seem to be far from making it to the playoffs, let alone winning the championship this season, what should the front office do?
NBA insider urged Mavs front office to trade Anthony Davis away in the offseason
ESPN’s veteran insider Tim Bontemps has a major request for Nico Harrison. It could shake up the Dallas core again, but if they want to win a championship next season, this move is necessary. It seems like the only way to go about it. Speaking on The Hoop Collective podcast, Bontemps said: “Anthony Davis should not be on the team next season. He should not be.” Imagine trading away your best man, and then thinking of trading away the one you got in return. As crazy as it sounds, the smartest move for the Mavericks is to trade him this summer. Get a massive haul. Hit the reset button. Because let’s be honest—this group isn’t winning anything.
And hey, after the last month, you could argue Nico Harrison shouldn’t even be calling the shots. But let’s not kid ourselves, that’s not happening either. So there shouldn’t be any questions about what the Mavericks should be doing now. The math, the logic, and the path are simple: “They should trade Anthony Davis because they do not have a chance to win with this team. And the whole point of putting this together was to win now,” Tim Bontemps sternly reiterated.
Meanwhile, Bontemps isn’t buying the Kyrie-AD dream either. Sure, “Kyrie Irving will come back at thirty-four at one hundred percent” and could still be a star guard. But pairing him with Anthony Davis would be a risky gamble. Kyrie Irving‘s body has taken its share of hits, and Davis? He’s breaking down, aging fast, and burning a bigger hole in the pocket. The only real case for the Luka trade was to win now, and so far? It’s hard to see how that’s working.
But most importantly, all the decisions Harrison would be taking in the upcoming months will have an impact on the team’s future. For now, trading Anthony Davis seems like the best plan to rebuild a team as it would make way for the front office to find a bigger power on the court. However, this isn’t where the troubles seem to end for the Dallas Mavericks. With Kai sidelined and his return uncertain, the GM has to tread through the situation with care. You cannot hurt more fan sentiments here!
Kyrie Irving poses a $44 million threat to Nico Harrison
The Mavericks might still need to keep Kyrie Irving happy. After Luka Doncic‘s trade, Kyrie became a key figure alongside Anthony Davis, and the team can’t afford to alienate him. If they treat Kyrie poorly—especially after how they handled Luka’s exit—it could hurt their reputation and make it harder to attract future players. In the NBA, perception matters, and mishandling stars can have lasting consequences.
Thus Tim Bontemps added: “They might still be in a position where they have to take care of Kyrie Irving. And why? If you do Kyrie wrong after the way the Luca trade went down and let’s just be frank, the franchise dumped on him on the way out, boy, that’s going to be awfully tough to overcome.”
However, it would be too risky for the Mavs to sign Irving for a long-term contract this summer because of his fresh ACL injury. Kai has a $44 million player option in the 2025-26 season. If he opts for it, he will be holding 28.9% of the salary cap. But if he opts out, he could save the Mavs from financial troubles. Moreover, the 32-year-old would become an unrestricted free agent after 2026-27.
Thus, the Dallas Mavericks are at a crossroads, and every move from here shapes their future. Trading Anthony Davis feels inevitable if winning is still the goal. But Kyrie Irving? That’s a $44 million headache they can’t ignore. Mishandling him could stain their reputation for years. With their playoff hopes fading and fan patience wearing thin, Nico Harrison has no room for error. It’s time to act—before everything falls apart. But will they? Only time will tell.
The post Mavs Urged to Trade Anthony Davis Away as Kyrie Irving’s $44M Decision Could Land Nico Harrison in More Trouble appeared first on EssentiallySports.
