Why Anthony Davis Waived Trade Kicker for Mavericks, Lakers Trade

Davis is already a team player in Dallas.

Anthony Davis waived his trade kicker to help the Mavericks. / Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

The Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers shocked the sports over the weekend as Anthony Davis and Luka Doncic switched teams. The trade was so out of nowhere that it caught everyone off guard—including the Lakers—and saw both teams swap championship odds.

It also cost Doncic a lot of money, but he's not the only one in the trade who gave up cash. Anthony Davis reportedly waived his $5.9 million trade kicker. According to ESPN's Dave McMenamin, Davis made that choice to give the Mavericks more financial flexibility. The fact that Texas has no state taxes should ease that burden on Davis who is making more than $54 million this year.

Anthony Davis waived his $5.9m trade kicker as a part of the deal, sources told ESPN. The decision was made to give DAL flexibility in order to be as competitive as possible, while also recognizing that the money can be made back in other ways, with no state taxes in Texas and in…

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) February 2, 2025

Davis has two years and another year that is a player option worth $62 million remaining on his current deal. As it stands, he could be a free agent in 2027 when he's 34. Surely he'll do whatever is in the best interest of the team when that time comes.

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