Mavericks might blow up their team, but not anytime soon

That's not the kind of news a team considering trading for Davis wants to hear. Especially since he's owed $112.6M for the next two seasons, plus a player option for 2027-28 worth $62.8M. That's $9M more than Doncic is scheduled to earn that season. Davis is a unique talent, but can a team trading for him realistically expect him to be available for the next three seasons?

The timing is bad for the Mavericks to trade Anthony Davis or Klay Thompson

The NBA trade market is effectively stalled until Dec. 15, when many players who signed contracts this summer are eligible to be traded. Players who signed extensions for more than a 20 percent raise aren't eligible for trades until six months after signing. That means the Mavericks themselves can't trade a player like D'Angelo Russell until then, and they can't trade forward P.J. Washington this season at all.

Besides, Davis can't be traded until he's shown he's healthy, and it makes no sense to trade Thompson when he's lost his starting spot and is shooting 26.7 percent from three-point range. It's unclear if  Thompson would even welcome a trade, after taking less money than the Los Angeles Lakers offered to sign with the Mavericks. He's also dating superstar Megan Thee Stallion, who lives in Texas, which might also dampen his enthusiasm for relocation.

The Mavericks already surprised one All-Star with an unexpected trade when they sent off Doncic. In the future, it's hard to imagine the team would move any of their veteran trio without working with them to find a destination — especially since Davis and Irving can sign contract extensions this summer.

There's one player who the Mavericks could trade and likely get a solid return: center Daniel Gafford, who signed a three-year, $54M extension seemingly designed to keep him trade-eligible. Otherwise, the Mavericks are unlikely to make a big trade until near the February deadline — and maybe not until next summer.