Mavs set clear priority in potential Anthony Davis trade

The Dallas Mavericks' season hasn't gone as planned. Injuries and a slow start to the campaign have derailed Jason Kidd's team, and they're firmly expected to be sellers at the trade deadline.

That puts the injury-prone Anthony Davis at the center of multiple trade rumors, with the Atlanta Hawks as one of his rumored potential destinations.

Notably, Sports Illustrated insider Chris Mannix reported that the Hawks also happen to be in possession of the asset the Mavs covet the most right now: The New Orleans Pelicans' first-round selection.

The Mavs want the Pelicans' first-round pick 

“I can tell you with certainty, that the Mavericks have been trying to pry away that New Orleans Pelicans pick away from the Hawks, for some time now. That has been on the mind of the Mavericks’  front office for some time now,” Mannix wrote, as quoted by Basket News.  

New Pelicans GM Joe Dumars shocked the basketball world when he traded his team's first-round selection during the 2025 NBA Draft to trade up and get Derik Queen.

As great a player as Queen has been for the organization, the Pelicans are sitting on a 8-28 record, and that first-round pick is projected to be one of the most valuable in a stacked draft.

That being said, it's hard to envision the Hawks being interested in paying such a high price for an injury-prone player, even if it's a superstar like Anthony Davis.

Then again, with the team looking on the verge of a breakout before Trae Young's return from injury, they might be willing to take some risks if they're still in a good position at the trade deadline.