Kendrick Perkins on why Anthony Davis should demand to be traded to Philadelphia: “Davis to the 76ers makes all the sense in the world”

The Dallas Mavericks organization is staring at a major crisis. The decision to trade Luka Doncic will undoubtedly haunt them for many years to come. Although the Patrick Dumont management has begun taking stock of the situation, this will be an uphill battle.

After months of heavy backlash, the management finally decided to fire the mastermind behind the Doncic trade, Nico Harrison. With this move, there is anticipation for big announcements in the coming days as well. The grapevine suggests the franchise may be staring at a rebuild.

The developments have fueled trade rumors, with Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving being at the forefront of it. Recently, addressing these rumors, former player-turned-analyst Kendrick Perkins weighed in on the situation. Big Perk had a rather unpopular choice when it came to AD's future team.

“If I’m AD, I’m doing everything in my power to get to Philadelphia. I believe Anthony Davis to the 76ers makes all the sense in the world. Okay, we know what they need over there. Joel Embiid needs a shot. I mean, not trying to like be rude, but just keeping it real. You get AD over there alongside Tyrese Maxey. 76ers look like a totally different team,” said Perkins, who had intel about another team in the East also making a run for Davis.

Detroit Pistons seem keen

Much like the 76ers, the Pistons are another odd name in these trade discussions as well. Nonetheless, one cannot overlook the promising talent on both teams, whether it is Tyrese Maxey or Cade Cunningham. According to Perk, Detroit also has the cap space to do so.

“My sources are also telling me that Detroit has a lot of interest in old Anthony Davis. You’ll be able to pull off maybe some young talent, but long as you keep Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duran, and you bring AD over there to that,” said the 2008 NBA champion.

While Detroit is a favorable destination, the Pistons have had a solid start to their 2025-26 campaign. In their first 15 games, they posted a 13-2 record. Still early in the season, things are falling in place for the Pistons. Thus, it may not be the wisest decision to change things.

That said, another limitation hindering AD's prospects is his health.

Injury-prone nature

Despite all his talent and skill set, AD's biggest kryptonite is his injury history. Davis has already missed a lot of his prime, dealing with pain and aches. Hence, there are always concerns regarding his availability, something we witnessed during his time with the Los Angeles Lakers.

When it comes to the Sixers, they are already dealing with Joel Embiid's uncertain health. Thus, it remains to be seen whether they would actually want to pursue Davis, especially given that Maxey needs a more reliable counterpart. Interestingly, when trade rumors began to gain momentum, current minority owner Mark Cuban released a statement dismissing speculation.

Aside from his injuries, AD's conditioning has been a concern, as he has appeared out of shape lately. Nevertheless, we hope things fall into place for The Brow, given he still has a lot to offer the game.

Related: John Wall believes Dallas could trade Anthony Davis to his hometown: “You been hearing he wants to go back to Chicago”

This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Nov 21, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.