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Anthony Davis #3 of the Dallas Mavericks looks on during the anthem before a preseason game against the Los Angeles Lakers at T-Mobile Arena on October 15, 2025
Fans of the New York Knicks are split on the idea of a potential Anthony Davis trade that would send Karl-Anthony Towns to the Dallas Mavericks.
The rumors gathered steam Sunday after SNY’s Ian Begley reported that the Knicks would be open to acquiring Davis if the Mavericks shop him aggressively.
“This is stating the obvious, but I’m sure the Knicks would at least check in with Dallas if/when Anthony Davis becomes available,” wrote Bagley.
The Knicks insider noted that Davis — despite his recent injury history — remains a highly coveted player around the league, particularly for his defensive prowess.
“You may scoff at the idea, but the Knicks want to win a title this season. If Dallas is offering Davis at a below-market cost, I’m sure the Knicks will at least give the move some thought. But this, again, is stating the obvious. The Mavs will get calls from nearly all NBA teams if/when they make Davis available.”
Anthony Davis Trade Rumors
Knicks fans on X had an extreme reaction to Begley’s report. One fan argued that a swap of Towns and Towns would instantly make the Knicks the best team in the league.
“If the Knicks had Anthony Davis instead of KAT the Knicks are the best team in the league,” wrote Hana.
However, Big Mama argued strongly against the trade, highlighting that Towns is two years younger than Davis and not injury-prone like his fellow Kentucky alum.
“yall turning on KAT like this and AD made outta paper mache its wild,” she wrote. “granted KAT has played like [expletive] rn but its only November and we’ve seen how good a team this is when he gets going and isnt as injury prone…..”
The acquisition of Davis could allow the Knicks to go back to a smaller lineup of Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart, with Mitchell Robinson coming off the bench. Currently, Knicks head coach Mike Brown prefers to start a double-big lineup featuring Robinson and Towns to compensate for Towns’s defensive lapses.
Win-Win Knicks Trade?
Since Davis is a significantly better defender than KAT, Knicks Union believes the trade is a win-win situation for both teams, even for the Mavericks.
Big Knicks Energy pushed back on the idea, arguing that Davis — who has missed a whopping 124 games since the start of the decade — is not worth the trouble.
“Reasons why the Knicks should not trade for Anthony Davis.
•Injury risk — extremely high.
•Expensive long-term contract that could limit flexibility.
•Not a natural floor-spacer, which complicates certain lineups.
•Age curve + injury profile suggests decline risk through his contract.”
Elsewhere, CBS Sports’ Sam Quinn had a rather interesting take on the potential Anthony Davis trade to the Knicks.
“I’ve said it all along. KAT is higher floor. AD is higher ceiling,” he wrote.
“For 90% of teams, you prefer the higher ceiling. The Knicks are arguably among the 10% of teams who are already good enough to prefer the higher floor. I think it’s a reasonable debate on both sides.”
Sai Mohan covers the NBA for Heavy.com. Based in Portugal, Sai is a seasoned sports writer with nearly two decades of publishing experience, including bylines at Yardbarker, FanSided’s Hoops Habit, International Business Times, Hindustan Times and more. More about Sai Mohan
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