Anthony Davis will miss at least the next six weeks with an injured hand, but according to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Toronto Raptors are one of the teams still interested (subscription required) in trading for the 32-year-old. It seemed like an AD trade wouldn't happen for any team before the deadline, but now that it's official that he won't have to undergo surgery, a deal could still materialize.
As Stein noted, though, any package that Toronto proposes is "expected" to consist of Immanuel Quickley or Jakob Poeltl with RJ Barrett. He added that even if the Raptors attached a first-round pick to that package, it wouldn't provide financial relief for Dallas. Stein said that the Mavericks want to lower their luxury tax bill to "avoid" the second tax apron next season.
Dallas isn't in a rush to trade AD, as Stein wrote, and is okay with keeping him for the second half of the season, potentially even throughout the offseason. The Mavericks want an offer that they consider beneficial for themselves, so there is a chance that offer won't come before the buzzer sounds on Feb. 5.
Raptors are still interested in Anthony Davis trade
Does that mean you can discount the Raptors' ongoing interest in Davis? No. They're currently fourth in the East with a 24-17 record, and want to make a playoff run. In theory, AD would help them do so, but only if he can stay on the court, of course.
Luckily for him, he didn't injure his shooting hand, which is why returning this season is still in play. It's a great thing that he doesn't need surgery. But even if Davis does return, there will be a fear that he will get injured again.
Teams like Toronto have to be thinking about that as it ponders an AD trade, that and the contract extension he will be eligible to sign during the offseason. There are always risks that come along with trading for a star-level player, but those risks multiply when it comes to Davis.
Still, the desire to bring AD to Canada to make a postseason run (especially this year) could be enough for the Raptors to ignore those risks, although it'd be short-sighted. If Davis was healthy in time for the playoffs, and it stayed that way, Toronto could be a real threat, but that's a lot of 'ifs.'
How the next few weeks play out will be interesting for the Raptors for various reasons, especially when it comes to AD's future.