Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving trade rumors have dominated the buzz around the Mavericks since the franchise fired general Manager Nico Harrison. The duo hasn't been able to stay healthy and play more than a game together since teaming up in Dallas in February.In his debut, Davis injured himself and missed significant time. While he was on the sidelines, Irving tore his ACL. As a result, the Mavericks might miss the playoffs for the second consecutive season. With that threat looming, there's speculation that the Mavericks might pivot to a rebuild around No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg.However, Anthony Davis' latest comments suggest the Mavericks might have long-term plans for him and Irving upon the latter's return. Here's what he told reporters after Friday's win against the Nets (via Mavericks beat reporter Noah Webber):“We’re really close, we actually been trying to become teammates for awhile, that’s another story, we don’t have time for that. …Having him as a ‘coach’ now, he constantly texts me about stuff he sees when we on the road, here, he’s talking to me on the bench. … "He’s really helping out Ryan as a point guard…We lean on each other, and I think he’s been a big advocate for all us players to continue to be better…We all love it. We all love Kai, and we obviously can’t wait til he get back for real with us and go on a deeper run."The Mavericks have won five of their last six games. Davis, meanwhile, has a 4-2 record since his return from a calf injury. The Mavericks have started to figure things out, and it could only get better once they have a force like Irving at the point of attack, which is a glaring weakness.It seems they're leaning more towards investing in Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving as the core pieces alongside Cooper Flagg to see how far this team can go.Anthony Davis' comments on Kyrie Irving align with latest NBA trade rumorsThe latest trade rumors suggest the Mavericks are evaluating the team's ceiling with Anthony Davis. It's not an 'automatic' decision that Dallas will trade the 10-time All-Star, given his market value and the Mavericks' improving form. Here's what Stein reported on Thursday:“Yet sources with knowledge of Dallas' thinking insist that it will not just trade him in-season for the sake of it if the offers received are deemed to be subpar in the wake of Davis' injury woe since the 32-year-old became a Maverick … "It is believed that Dumont — knowing the trade can't be undone and more than cognizant of its damaging aftermath given what's transpired in Dallas over the past 10 months — wants to see more from Davis for evaluation purposes rather than rush into another deal that compounds mistakes already made."Some reports even suggest that the Mavericks are considering signing Anthony Davis to an extension. Injuries have held Davis back, but when healthy, he has been one of the best two-way centers, averaging 19.6 points, 10.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.6 blocks and 1.2 steals in 11 games. Davis has shot 52.3%, including 33.3% from deep. He's had a double-double in seven games.