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HomeDallas Mavericks‘They Gotta Make A Decision’: Charles Barkley Says It’s Time Dallas Mavericks Trade Anthony Davis
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‘They Gotta Make A Decision’: Charles Barkley Says It’s Time Dallas Mavericks Trade Anthony Davis

Jake RogersJake Rogers
Anthony Davis, Dallas Mavericks, NBA
Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images

The Dallas Mavericks walked into Christmas Day hoping to showcase progress — a team that had played better basketball in recent weeks despite a disappointing record.

They walked out with more questions than answers.

After a 126–116 loss to the Golden State Warriors, the Mavericks fell to 12–20, and the conversation around their future took a sharp turn. For Charles Barkley, that direction is already clear.

“What are the Mavs gonna do?” Barkley asked on ESPN. “They’re in trouble now, because it’s clear to me that Anthony Davis, as much as we like him and love him as a player, he’s never gonna be healthy. They gotta make a decision.”

Barkley’s comments were made before Anthony Davis exited the game late in the second quarter with right groin spasms — an injury that only sharpened the point Barkley was making.

“I think I might move on,” Barkley said. “If I was running the team, I’d say, ‘You know what? It’s Cooper’s team now.’”

Another Holiday, Another Injury for Anthony Davis

Davis was acquired as the centerpiece of the Luka Dončić trade, a deal orchestrated by former general manager Nico Harrison with a specific philosophy in mind. Harrison believed the only way Dallas could return to the NBA Finals and win a championship was by building a defense-first identity around Davis.

No one ever questioned Davis’ defensive impact when healthy. What many questioned — and feared — was whether availability would always undermine the vision.

Those concerns have followed Davis throughout his time in Dallas. He played only 15 games this season, nine of them in December, as the Mavericks went 6–3 during that stretch. Entering Thursday’s matchup, Dallas was competitive early, trailing just 40–36 with 8:50 left in the second quarter when Davis went down again.

He finished with three points, three rebounds and two blocks in 11 minutes.

The injury marked the latest chapter in a frustrating pattern. Davis missed 18 games last season after suffering an adductor strain in his Mavericks home debut. This season, he sat out 14 games due to a left calf strain before returning. Now, it’s his right groin.

ESPN’s Malika Andrews reported the decision to keep Davis out for the remainder of the game was made out of “an abundance of caution.” Even so, the reality is unchanged: the 32-year-old star is sidelined again.

Charles Barkley’s Postgame Verdict: Start Over

By the time the game ended, Barkley’s stance had hardened.

“This is bad, man. It’s time to do a full rebuild down in Dallas,” he said. “It’s time to start over. Listen, AD, maybe even Kyrie, and Klay Thompson… It’s time to start over and build around Cooper Flagg.”

Barkley pointed to roster construction and future flexibility as part of the urgency.

“I think you start to rebuild because they don’t have any draft picks,” he said. “And I think if those guys went to another team, they could help them because the East is wide open.”

His comments framed Dallas’ situation not as a short-term setback, but as a crossroads — one where patience may only deepen the problem.

The Cooper Flagg Reality

While the loss underscored Dallas’ fragility without Davis, it also highlighted the player Barkley believes represents the future.

Cooper Flagg delivered a standout Christmas Day performance, scoring 27 points on 13-of-21 shooting with six rebounds and five assists. He became the first rookie since Pete Maravich in 1970 to post at least 25 points, five rebounds and five assists on Christmas Day.

For Barkley, that performance wasn’t just encouraging — it was clarifying.

The Mavericks entered the day hoping to stabilize. Instead, they left Christmas with a familiar injury, a worsening record, and a national voice openly questioning the foundation they’re built on.

Last Christmas, Dallas lost Luka Dončić to a calf injury in a loss to Minnesota — a game that ultimately proved to be his final appearance in a Mavericks uniform.

This Christmas, Anthony Davis went down again.

For Barkley, the message was unmistakable: the experiment has run its course, and the decision Dallas has been delaying may no longer be avoidable.

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Tags :Anthony DavisCharles BarkleyCooper FlaggDallas MavericksNBANBA Christmas DayNBA News

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