Anthony Davis Eyes 'Great Opportunity' for Championship with Mavericks After Stunning Trade
Anthony Davis made a strong first impression as he joined the Dallas Mavericks, stepping off the team bus at the Wells Fargo Center ahead of their game against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Davis made his first public appearance as a member of the Mavericks since the blockbuster trade that sent Luka Dončić to the Lakers in exchange for Davis and Max Christie. Davis expressed his excitement for the opportunity ahead in Dallas.
“Excitement,” said Davis, averaging 25.7 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 3.4 assists through 42 games played. “Nico believes in what I can add to this team. We’re both extremely excited about what we can do, and I think we have a great opportunity to win a championship.”
Davis’s arrival in Dallas marks a significant shift for the Mavericks. The team will leverage Davis’s skills alongside Kyrie Irving to pursue an NBA title. The trade was as surprising to Davis as to the basketball world. While he was at home, planning a quiet evening, he recounted the unexpected call that changed his professional path.
“I was shocked. I didn’t know,” Davis revealed. “I was home, about to watch a movie with my wife. And got the phone call. I had no idea. I’d just sent the team a text (of) congratulations on the big win (versus New York). And looking forward to Tuesday’s big game against the Clippers. An hour later, I was no longer with the team. So I was in shock, obviously. I had no idea it was happening. Now, I’m kind of over it and ready to play for Dallas.”
Though sidelined for the game against Philadelphia due to an abdominal muscle strain, Davis is anticipated to make his Mavericks debut soon, possibly during their upcoming games against the Boston Celtics or Houston Rockets. He shared his immediate plans for returning to full health, emphasizing his readiness to return to his preferred power forward position after years at center for the Lakers.
“Obviously, Dereck (Lively II) is dealing with an injury, but Gaff (Daniel Gafford) is playing phenomenal. So I think that’s the plan, but we’ll see how it goes,” Davis said. “Right now, I’m just excited to get back to playing basketball. Given the whole trade thing but also the injury, each time I’m on the floor, I feel better. But I haven’t played power forward in a long time, since I was first in LA. To be back at the four, I’m excited to see how it goes.”
Davis and Irving, teammates on the 2014 World Cup team of Team USA, have discussed reuniting on the court since Davis’s trade request from New Orleans in 2018. Their paths diverged when Irving moved to the Brooklyn Nets, but they have found common ground in Dallas.
“Me and Kai talked about this, I think, in 2018 when I asked for a trade from New Orleans,” Davis explained. “He was in Boston at the time, and he ended up leaving for Brooklyn. We’ve been wanting to play alongside each other for a very long time. Now we got that opportunity to do so.”
Davis also highlighted his longstanding relationship with Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison, dating back to his high school days when Harrison was a Nike executive. This pre-existing friendship has made the transition smoother.
“Nico’s known me since I was in high school,” Davis noted. “Obviously, one of the guys I got close to when I signed with Nike. And then, to stay close throughout the years, we remained good friends. And now to come back kind of full circle and be together here in Dallas, it’s going to be fun.”
As the Mavericks integrate Davis into their lineup, they look to leverage his all-around capabilities to enhance their championship aspirations. Davis decided to waive his trade kicker to give the Mavericks more flexibility.
“Just trying to help the team,” Davis concluded. “You always want to get better, and losing a monument-to-be like Luka, obviously, it’s a lot. So I’m just trying to do my part and help Nico and the organization on how to continuously get better.”
