Dallas Mavericks forward Anthony Davis played for the first time in a month on Friday, returning to the court for the first time since suffering a calf strain on Oct. 29. And it wasn’t just any court.
For the first time since the most shocking trade in NBA history, Davis visited Crypto.com Arena in an NBA Cup matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers. Ahead of the game, Davis received a warm welcome from the Lakers crowd as he was announced as part of Dallas’ lineup.
The rest of Davis’ welcome wasn’t so warm. While the Mavericks mostly kept the game close and even took the lead at one point in the fourth quarter, the Lakers ran away with a 129-119 win to finish NBA Cup group play 4-0.
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The Lakers will advance to the knockout round as the No. 2 seed in the West, facing the No. 3 seed San Antonio Spurs.
Naturally, it was Luka Dončić — the player the Lakers eagerly swapped Davis for — helping lead the way for L.A. with 35 points on 10-of-17 shooting and 11 assists, while Austin Reaves led all scorers with 38 points on a hyper-efficient 12-of-15 shooting. Davis, limited to 28 minutes, totaled 12 points on 6-of-10 shooting with 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 blocks.
Part of the delay in Davis’ homecoming was due to various injuries. Despite joining the team last February, Davis has played in only 14 games for the Mavericks total. Last season, he missed 18 games after suffering an adductor strain in his Mavericks debut.
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This season, the 32-year-old has played in only five games, with the Mavericks taking a cautious approach with his health. When healthy, the 10-time All-Star has performed at a high level, averaging 20.8 points and 10.2 rebounds per game this season.
After missing the playoffs last season and starting this season 3–8, the Mavericks fired former president of basketball operations and general manager Nico Harrison. Harrison had brokered the blockbuster trade that sent Dončić to the Lakers and Davis to the Mavericks.
Davis was surprised when the Mavericks decided to let Harrison go, and now exists in a sort of limbo with respect to his Mavericks future. The team’s fortunes clearly revolve around the 18-year-old Cooper Flagg now, putting the 32-year-old Davis in an awkward position. A trade seems possible between now and the trade deadline in February, though former Mavericks majority owner Mark Cuban, now a member of the Mavs’ GM-by-committee, has said the team isn’t planning such a move.
