Anthony Davis being in the trade rumor mill is not new, but once again, it has hit a snag. It was initially with the Atlanta Hawks situation. Still, now, even with the Golden State Warriors, the path ahead is unclear, especially after the Dubs front office seems hellbent on not trading their veteran.

It was NBA insider Chris Haynes who reported about the Warriors’ potential interest in acquiring Davis a few days ago.

But Sam Amick of The Athletic added a potential concern.

“Team sources say they’re staunchly against the notion of trading either Draymond Green or Jimmy Butler, which creates quite a predicament when you’re trying to match salaries of high-level players,” Amick wrote.

Now, there’s still a possibility if the Warriors want Davis without giving up their veterans. However, reporter Kevin O’Connor said that it would involve giving away Jonathan Kuminga and five other players to match the financials! That will take them back to pre-season problems of having only 9 contracted players.

Solving this issue is “nearly impossible to pull off mid-season,” O’Connor deems. That’s why Davis might not end up in the Bay.

Although Anthony Davis’ value in today’s market has taken a massive toll because of his injury-prone nature and also because of his age, he still is a player for whom the Dallas Mavericks would ask a significant value to trade. Despite this, the 10x All-Star remains the league’s most versatile big man, particularly on defense, and remains an elite rim finisher. His presence would add vertical spacing for the Warriors and allow Stephen Curry to operate more freely on offense.

That’s why the trade made sense. But with the Dubs limiting the assets they have to offer, executing a trade would be complicated. Forward Jonathan Kuminga is an obvious piece in a potential deal, but his contract ($22.5 million this season) is still much smaller than Anthony Davis‘ ($54.1 million).

Forwards Draymond Green ($25.89 million) or Jimmy Butler ($54.1 million) would have made it work, but since their front office is “staunchly” against the notion of even discussing them, the move to pair Davis and Curry remains in limbo.

Anthony Davis trade receives lifeline

As stated earlier, the Hawks “remain very intrigued” about potentially trading for Anthony Davis. With a 16-19 record and a recent seven-game losing streak, the front office is looking to turn things around. But the Mavericks want expiring contracts, draft picks, and young players like Zaccharie Risacher rather than Trae Young. That’s the issue: the Hawks don’t have enough draft capital. Amid this, the Oklahoma City Thunder emerges as a lifeline for the Hawks.

“Keep an eye on Sam Presti in Oklahoma City as a potential facilitator in the Trae Young/Anthony Davis talks. Rival scouts view Zaccharie Risacher as an ideal “buy-low” developmental fit for the Thunder,” journalist Dusty Garza reported.

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The Thunder also has a plethora of draft capital and can offer the Hawks enough to move with the Davis deal, which will give the Mavericks and their center relief.