Putting The Mavs’ Trade Deadline Message Under The Microscope

Dallas Mavericks stellar rookie Cooper Flagg doesn’t seem to believe Anthony Davis being traded will “really change much” (h/t Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News). “I’m just gonna go out there every night and try to be consistent and try to be the best version of myself,” he says. “Whatever that looks like, whoever is out there with me, I hope we just compete at a very high level.”

Whether that’s truly the case for Flagg, who’s slowly but surely becoming the player people have long believed he can be, time will only tell. The 19-year-old is averaging 23.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.0 steal and 1.5 blocks per game since the trade deadline, shooting 48.7% from the field and 50.0% from 3. In the 10 preceding games, he averaged 24.4 points, 7.3 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.8 blocks per game, shooting 50.3% from the field and 35.0% from 3.

Statistically speaking, Davis’s trade really may not have a significant impact on Flagg. Given that Davis had only played 20 games this season, that makes sense. How much could the absence of a player who’s constantly unavailable really change?

Putting The Mavs’ Trade Deadline Message Under The Microscope

Make no mistake, Dallas’ decision to trade Davis wasn’t just about adding draft capital to build around Flagg. That’s the message that people will get from Mavericks co-interim general manager Michael Finley. “We have an unbelievable player in Cooper Flagg so it’s our job to put the right pieces around him,” he says. “When you have that draft capital, it gives yourself the ability to put proper pieces around him.”

The 15-year NBA veteran and two-time All-Star’s comments certainly aren’t wrong. But common sense says that after his predecessor traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, Nico Harrison wasn’t the only one Dallas wanted out of the picture. The fans and people connected to the franchise –not only Mark Cuban and Dirk Nowitzki but media members like Marc Stein–hated that particular transaction so much that their mindset became vindictive.

To be fair, their ire wasn’t necessarily directed at Davis but he was the player Doncic was shipped off for. After Harrison was given the boot, it was only a matter of time before he would be sent packing too. Go figure, three months after the former Nike executive was fired, Davis and the Mavericks’ other misfit toys were traded.

The Mavs Got A Jester’s Ransom For Anthony Davis

The return for Davis, D’Angelo Russell, Jaden Hardy and Dante Exum was Khris Middleton, Marvin Bagley III, Tyus Jones, AJ Johnson, two first-round picks and three second-round picks. That’s not exactly a king’s ransom. In fact, it’s closer to a jester’s ransom.

Expiring Contracts But Declining Players

Middleton is on the downswing after myriad lower body injuries, posting his lowest scoring average (10.3 points per game) on a career-low field goal percentage (.433) this season. However, he has a $33.3 million expiring contract that’ll come off Dallas’s books this summer. Bagley, 26, has had an up-and-down career but is also on an expiring contract. Like Middleton, Jones is playing the worst basketball of his career, averaging 3.0 points and 2.5 assists per game with a .449 true shooting percentage. At 21, Johnson’s the youngest of their additions, but also unrefined and unproven.

If a postseason berth was ever truly “the original plan,” the playoffs clearly aren’t a priority for the Mavericks anymore. Understandably, Davis’s injuries prevented him from winning over a fan base that already didn’t want him there. However, even at 32 years old, he’s far more effective than Middleton, Bagley, Jones or Johnson.

Draft Assets With Questionable Value

Putting their trade deadline moves under the microscope reveals an even bigger problem.

One first-round pick is a 2030 first-round pick from the Golden State Warriors. That could be a key asset with Stephen Curry in the twilight of his career. However, the other first-rounder is the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 2026 pick; bound to be a bottom-five selection. The three second-rounders will come from the Wizards, who have added two multi-time All-Stars to their roster this season.

If the priority was building around Flagg, it’s hard to believe a late first-round pick would have done more for his development than a 10-time All-Star and NBA champion. A player who was a first overall pick himself.