Mavericks' Mark Cuban sends strong message on Anthony Davis, but he should change his tune

The Dallas Mavericks still believe they can make it work with forward Anthony Davis.

Entering Wednesday, the Mavericks (4-11) were 13th in the Western Conference and had lost eight of their past 10 games. Amid the slow start, a report surfaced that the team would explore trading Davis. However, minority owner Mark Cuban shut down that rumor. 

Mark Cuban says the Mavericks aren't trading Anthony Davis

"We won't. We want to try to win," Cuban said Wednesday in an email when asked if the Mavericks would trade Davis, via The Athletic's Joe Vardon.

A healthy Davis would help Dallas win more games. In 14 seasons, the No. 1 pick of the 2012 NBA Draft has made 10 All-Star Games and won a championship. In five games this season, the 32-year-old veteran has averaged 20.8 PPG on an above-average 52% shooting from the field and recorded 10.2 rebounds per game and 1.2 blocks per game. 

The problem, though, is that Davis is injury-prone. He has played in 75 regular-season games or more three times in his career. 

Since acquiring him in a blockbuster trade with the Los Angeles Lakers last season, the oft-injured Davis has played in just 14 games for the Mavericks. He hasn't played since Oct. 29 because of a left calf strain, which will be re-evaluated in seven to 10 days, per the team.

Even when he has been playing, the Mavericks have still stunk. Dallas has a 2-3 record with Davis in the lineup.

Davis was supposed to form a tandem with star guard Kyrie Irving that would keep the Mavericks in championship contention. That vision may not become a reality. 

Irving is still recovering from an ACL tear he suffered in March. While he's making progress, it's unclear if/when the 33-year-old star will return this season. 

Cuban sending the email is his way of reestablishing his authority within the organization. He's acting as an "adviser" to majority owner Patrick Dumont, who fired general manager Nico Harrison on Nov. 11. The unpopular former GM, of course, sent star guard Luka Doncic to the Lakers for Davis.

Cuban helped the Mavericks make 18 playoff appearances and win one title before selling his majority stake in 2023. So, he certainly feels responsible for Dallas' lackluster product on the court. But the responsible thing would be admitting it may be time to trade Davis. 

The Mavericks aren't winning a title even if he stays healthy, which seems unlikely. And it would be wise to stockpile draft capital to build around rookie forward Cooper Flagg, the No. 1 pick of the 2025 draft.