Mavericks rumors: 2026 NBA Draft plans make Trae Young trade less likely

As rumors surround the Dallas Mavericks ahead of February’s trade deadline, there have been a few players that have been talked about, which is star Anthony Davis and even point guard Trae Young. With the Mavericks and Hawks linked with each other in certain trade speculation, the latest regarding how Young fits into the picture is given more context.

ClutchPoints’ NBA insider Brett Siegel would speak on the show “Clutch Scoops,” along with fellow reporter of the same outlet, Tomer Azarly, about Dallas and if there would be a reality where, in trading Davis to Atlanta, the team would get back Young. However, Siegel would say that “it doesn’t make sense” for the swap.

“They have Kyrie Irving coming back, Cooper Flagg has shown he can run the point at certain points, and it does seem like that the Mavericks will target some backcourt help in the 2026 NBA Draft,” Siegel said. “So it doesn’t make sense for them to swap Trae Young for Anthony Davis. It doesn’t help the Mavericks right now.”

This would also be said by Chris Hayes, who expressed last Saturday that while the Hawks have interest in Davis, a deal would not include Young if one were to “materialize.”

"If a deal was able to materialize … I was told it would not involve Trae Young."@ChrisBHaynes hops on Nightcap to discuss a potential Anthony Davis to the Hawks trade pic.twitter.com/2whYAHK8cP

— NBA on Prime (@NBAonPrime) December 27, 2025

At the end of the day, though, there seems to be a possibility that the Hawks and the Mavericks are in business and make a deal for Davis, with Atlanta being the “top-tier main suitor.”

“So that really leaves the Atlanta Hawks as that top-tier main suitor that wants to be going after AD,” Siegel said. “There’s really no other team that has reached out to the Mavericks at this point.”

At any rate, Dallas is 12-22, which puts them 12th in the Western Conference ahead of their Thursday night game against the Philadelphia 76ers.

The post Mavericks rumors: 2026 NBA Draft plans make Trae Young trade less likely appeared first on ClutchPoints.