The Dallas Mavericks can’t seem to catch a break in the 2024-25 NBA season. After they traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis, things have not gone well for the team. The team has now experienced injuries to Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II, two of the most important big men in their rotation.
To add to that, the Mavericks sustained another setback in the season-ending ACL injury of All-Star guard Kyrie Irving. With the many setbacks they’ve experienced in a short period, their chances of making it to the postseason are gradually fading away.
Currently, Dallas is 10th in the Western Conference with a 32-30 record. Unfortunately for the Mavericks, they’re unlikely to be in the playoffs without a healthy star. However, there’s someone who believes in what the team is capable of doing in the future.
NBA News: Dallas Mavericks will get better with Anthony Davis
Even with the struggles they have this season, ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins believes the Mavericks can come back stronger with Davis as the number one guy.
“I believe that Kyrie Irving is gonna come back from this and I think he’s gonna come back to the Kyrie of old,” Perkins said.
“The focus is Anthony Davis. Even with Kyrie, this is Davis’ franchise now. If they’re going anywhere, t’s going to be on the back of an Anthony Davis.
"If they're going anywhere, it's going to be on the back of an Anthony Davis."
—@KendrickPerkins on the future of the Dallas Mavericks 👀 pic.twitter.com/jPnkz741JL
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) March 6, 2025
Davis is still on the sidelines as he continues to deal with an adductor strain. There’s still no telling when the big man will return. However, with their season almost over, there’s been speculation that AD will return to the team next season.
With that much time to recover and rest, the Mavericks could have a significant impact next season with the 10-time All-Star as their leader.
Davis should never play for the Dallas Mavericks, according to an NBA Insider
With the recent injury to Irving, the Dallas Mavericks have lost one of the three to four windows that general manager Nico Harrison boasted when they acquired Davis. According to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps, however, he believes the big man should consider not playing for the franchise anymore and force his way out over the summer.
“I’m going to be honest. I don’t think that Anthony Davis should ever play for the Mavericks again. He shouldn’t play for the rest of the season, and they should trade him this summer,” Bontemps said
“Nico Harrison talked about them having a three- or four-year window with this group. That included this season,” Bontemps said. “Kyrie Irving is going to be a 33-year-old guard who had a catastrophic knee injury with a player option for next season. You basically have to write him off for being a major contributor for next season. Maybe he could come back and do that.”
The insider said Dallas has no real chance of being a contender if Davis is left without a co-star.
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Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen on Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.
