The Dallas Mavericks made one of the most controversial trades in NBA history in the 2024-25 season, sending All-NBA point guard and MVP candidate Luka Doncic for a package centered around 32-year-old power forward Anthony Davis.

Now, less than a year later, ESPN analyst and former NBA center Kendrick Perkins linked Davis with a move away from the Mavericks.

“My sources are also telling me that Detroit has a lot of interest in Anthony Davis,” Perkins said on the Road Trippin’ Show.

NBA insider Brett Seigel, however, was quick to shut down the rumor, revealing there hadn’t been any conversation between Mavericks and the Detroit Pistons.

“Yeah… this isn’t a thing for those wondering,” Siegel wrote via X (formerly Twitter).

Davis has played just 19 games since arriving in Dallas in February, and has seen a stark drop in his averages since the trade. He’s averaging 19.8 points per game as a Maverick to go with 10.2 rebounds, both of which are his lowest averages with any team — though not terrible by any means.

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The Pistons are currently first in the Eastern Conference with a 19-5 record — already eclipsing their 14-win 2023-24 season. The several years of lottery picks the Pistons gathered are finally paying off, with 2021 No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham and 2022 No. 13 overall pick Jalen Duren leading the team in scoring.

Detroit’s current power forward is Tobias Harris, who has proven himself as a solid addition since signing with the Pistons ahead of the 2024-25 season. One thing he doesn’t offer that Davis does, though, is size. Davis, a seven-footer, averages five more rebounds per game than Harris, and would be a great addition if they saw fit.

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The Pistons don’t especially need a glass cleaner, though, as Duren has been exceptional for Detroit so far this season. The 6-foot-10, 250-pound center currently ranks fourth in the NBA in rebounds per game with an 11.5 mark.

While Davis to the Pistons provides an interesting conversation, until concrete talks materialize, the situation will be purely hypothetical.

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