Anthony Davis' Injury Woes Follow Him to Dallas, Leaving Mavericks Searching for Answers
When the Los Angeles Lakers dealt Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks in the blockbuster Luka Dončić trade, the move raised more than a few eyebrows - Davis included. After all, this was the same player who helped anchor the Lakers to the 2020 NBA title. But beneath the championship pedigree was a growing concern that had been building in L.A. for years: Davis’ body just couldn’t keep up with the demands of a full NBA season.
Now, that same concern is front and center in Dallas.
Let’s rewind for a second. After the Lakers' 2020 title run in the bubble, Davis’ availability became a recurring issue.
From 2021 through 2023, he suited up for just 132 games. That’s less than half of the regular season games over that stretch.
It wasn’t just one nagging issue either - it was a laundry list of injuries. In 2020-21 alone, he missed 36 games due to a calf strain, Achilles tendinosis, and an adductor strain.
The following season, things didn’t get any better. A left knee sprain and an ankle sprain sidelined him for 42 games in 2021-22.
Then came the right foot injury that kept him out for a month in 2022-23.
For Lakers fans, it became a frustrating cycle: hope, hype, and then another injury report. And eventually, it was too much for the front office to ignore. Rob Pelinka and the Lakers brass decided to cut ties, even if it meant parting with a Finals MVP-caliber talent.
Fast forward to Dallas, and the script is starting to feel eerily familiar.
The Mavericks, under former GM Nico Harrison, believed Davis could be the defensive anchor they needed to chase a title. Harrison, a firm believer in the “defense wins championships” mantra, saw Davis as the missing piece.
But that vision never materialized. Harrison is now out of the picture, and Davis has struggled to stay on the court.
Since the trade, Davis has played in just 29 games. Last season, he managed only nine appearances.
And while his debut in a Mavs uniform was electric - 26 points and 16 rebounds in a double-double performance - it ended on a sour note. A left adductor strain knocked him out for the next 18 games.
That injury set the tone for what has become a frustrating tenure in Dallas.
This season, the pattern continues. Davis has already missed 24 games and is currently sidelined with a left hand injury. For a team that was hoping to build around his presence in the paint, it’s been a tough pill to swallow.
And with Cooper Flagg emerging as the centerpiece of the Mavericks’ future, the franchise is reportedly looking to move on from the Davis experiment. The fit hasn’t worked, the injuries have piled up, and the fanbase has yet to fully embrace a player who, fair or not, will always be linked to the departure of Luka Dončić.
The Lakers saw this coming. They lived through the highs and lows of Davis’ tenure - the championship glory and the constant injury setbacks.
That’s why they made the tough call to move on. Now, it’s Dallas that finds itself in a familiar position: stuck with a supremely talented big man whose body just won’t cooperate.
Unless another team is willing to take a chance, the Mavericks are left managing a situation that’s as frustrating as it is familiar. The Anthony Davis era in Dallas hasn’t gone according to plan - and at this point, the clock may already be ticking on how much longer it will last.