Anthony Davis Goes Home in Blockbuster NBA Trade Idea To Begin Mavericks Teardown

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Ashish Mathur | Last updated Apr 18, 2025 12:26 PM ET

The Dallas Mavericks shocked the NBA world when they traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in February. Anthony Davis and Max Christie were traded by the Lakers to the Mavericks, who need to beat the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday to qualify for the 2025 playoffs.

If Dallas beats Memphis, the team will face the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the 2025 postseason. If the Mavericks lose to the Grizzlies, their season is over.

Dallas All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving tore his left ACL in March. He's expected to miss a chunk of next season, so the Mavericks could be a play-in team again in 2025-26.

With that said, one NBA analyst believes Dallas should embark on a rebuild by trading Davis this offseason.

Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report proposed a three-team trade idea between the Mavericks, Chicago Bulls and Orlando Magic where Davis heads to the Bulls.

Bulls Receive: Anthony Davis and Gary Harris

Mavericks Receive: Zach Collins, Kevin Huerter, Jonathan Isaac, a 2028 first-round pick from Chicago, a 2029 first-round pick swap from Chicago and a top-five-protected 2030 first-round pick from Chicago

Magic Receive: Nikola Vucevic and a top-50-protected 2025 second-round pick from Dallas (via Philadelphia)

Davis was born and raised in Chicago. He's one of the best players to come out of the Windy City.

Derrick Rose, another Chicago native, played for the Bulls from 2008-09 to 2015-16. He became the youngest MVP in NBA history in 2011.

The Bulls have made the playoffs only two times since the Rose era ended in 2016. If Chicago's front office figured out a way to acquire Davis, the franchise could become relevant again.

Davis averaged 24.7 points, 11.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.2 steals and 2.2 blocks this season for the Lakers and Mavericks while shooting 51.6% from the field, 28.2% from beyond the arc and 77.5% from the foul line. He had 36 double-doubles and one triple-double.

A 10-time All-Star and future Hall of Famer, Davis has played for the New Orleans Pelicans, Lakers and Mavericks. He has career averages of 24.1 points, 10.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.3 steals and 2.3 blocks.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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