"That Doesn't Affect Me": Anthony Davis Reacts To Speculations That He's On The Trading Block

It wasn’t that long ago that Anthony Davis was involved in a trade that shook the NBA to its core. In recent months, rumors have been swirling that he’ll be parting ways with the Dallas Mavericks, sooner or later.

Davis finally gave a straightforward response to all the trade buzz in a media availability this week. While preparing for his comeback from an injured calf, the 6-foot-10 Mavs big man gave his candid thoughts on the speculation.

“Look, y’all make it like we’re going to war or something,” Davis said with a chuckle. “This is basketball. It comes with it. I think everybody in their career has been involved in trade talks.”

Ironically, no fan or pundit ever thought that Davis would be packaged in a trade that set up the arrival of Luka Doncic in Los Angeles. Though that wasn’t the first time that AD had been shipped away (as he himself was traded to the Lakers in 2019), the three-team trade involving Davis and Doncic highlighted the limitless possibilities of trade scenarios in the NBA.

Playing in his 14th season in the league, Davis has clearly embraced the reality that no one is ever truly safe from becoming a trade chip.

“That doesn’t affect me,” he told reporters. “I’ve been in trade talks for a while. My job is to do what I do when I’m on the floor, play basketball, and try to lead this team. Whatever comes out of that, comes out of that.”

Though Davis’ perspective is commendable, his team is in desperate need of a big move or two to turn their season around. The Mavericks have won just five of their first 19 games, and though they are an elite team on the defensive end, their offense badly needs improvement.

Davis, a 10-time All-Star, was supposed to be Dallas’ anchor on both ends of the floor as the centerpiece of the Mavericks’ haul this past February. Injuries, however, have kept AD from establishing his dominance as the Mavs’ main man. Now that top overall pick Cooper Flagg has given Dallas a reason to be hopeful for their long-term future, the question of keeping Davis or dealing him for assets to support Flagg becomes a real head-scratcher.

Don’t expect AD to lose sleep over it, though. He’s been through one blockbuster trade this year, and for all he knows, he could soon be part of another.