Anthony Davis Trade Rumors: Insider Shuts Down Speculation on Mavericks Star's Injury Update's Links With Potential Move 

The latest injury update on Anthony Davis' return sparked speculation on the Dallas Mavericks star's future amid trade buzz. According to the Mavericks, Davis will take another seven to 10 days to ramp up from a left calf strain, which has forced him out of their last nine games.

Insider Marc Stein reported that Davis will only play after the medical staff confirms his status with owner Patrick Dumont. His involvement in the star's return led some to believe that Dallas could be plotting a trade for Davis over the next week.

However, Stein shut down speculation around that during a back-and-forth with Sports Dr. Brian Sutterer. Here's what Sutterer wrote, responding to Stein's story on Dumont deciding Davis' reactivation:

"How is this any different than literally any other injury? They don’t play till the medical staff says they are ready. This whole story is silly and to me seems like it’s just a way to keep him on the sidelines till a trade happens."

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Stein replied:

"Wrong on multiple fronts. Here’s two: 1) The owner isn’t the one typically asking for those updates. 2) The trade market depends on him playing."

Patrick Dumont is reportedly involved due to Anthony Davis and former Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison's wish for him to return early from the calf injury. According to The Athletic, Harrison forced the issue despite the Mavericks staff fearing the possibility of an Achilles tear.

The Mavericks can't afford to lose Davis to an Achilles' tear. It would impact the potential of testing their ceiling when fully healthy with Kyrie Irving in the lineup, who is recovering from an ACL surgery. It would also impact Davis' trade value.

After giving up a megastar like Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis, it would have been a massive setback for the Mavericks if his injury worsened.

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Anthony Davis' camp and Mavericks will take time to decide their stance on a trade

The Mavericks aren't going to trade Anthony Davis midseason out of the blue. According to insider Marc Stein, Davis and the Mavericks will take the next two months to evaluate their partnership and then conclude the optimal strategy.

As intriguing as it might look, trading Davis and his $54.1 million salary won't be easy. The Mavericks will hope to max out the returns on the 32-year-old, who has been injury-prone since his arrival. Davis has played only 14 games as a Maverick.

This season, his on-court impact hasn't been close to his All-NBA level play, raising further concerns about his market value. The ideal strategy would be to have Davis back in action with a balanced lineup.

The Mavericks can then decide whether to pursue a playoff spot or deal Davis at the deadline once his value potentially restores.

Edited by Arhaan Raje