The career of former Los Angeles Lakers superstar Anthony Davis will forever be defined by two monumental trades — the one that sent him to L.A. to team up with LeBron James, and the one that landed him in Dallas six years later, breaking the championship-winning duo apart.
Neither Davis or James has admitted having any knowledge of the shocking deal that shipped Davis to the Mavericks and brought Luka Doncic to the Lakers. That fact may be in part responsible for the two maintaining a good relationship despite the drastic in-season move that likely ended their run as professional teammates in any capacity. James turned 40 years old in December, and it is unlikely there is enough time in his career for the two to team up anywhere again.
However, gestures from James toward his younger counterpart early in their time together set the table for a working relationship that ended after two trips to the Western Conference Finals and one NBA title. Davis explained the circumstances of James offering him his No. 23 jersey during a February interview with MAVS TV.
“When I got to L.A., [James] wanted to give me the [No.] 23. But I was like, ‘I don’t want to take your number,'” Davis said, per video shared by Nicole Ganglani on X. “Then, that second year, he went to [No.] 6 and he asked me if I wanted [No.] 23. And I was like, ‘I actually want to stay with [No.] 3. I want to go back to where it all started.'”
Anthony Davis, Mavericks Have Had Bad Luck Since Trade
Getty Anthony Davis of the Dallas Mavericks.
Davis suffered some injury issues after departing the New Orleans Pelicans for the Lakers in 2019, though he found success relatively early with a title in 2020.
Unfortunately for Davis and the Mavericks, that has not been the case since the big man left L.A. for Texas. Davis appeared in just one game — on February 8 against the Houston Rockets — during which he suffered an adductor strain that has sidelined him ever since.
While the team didn’t rule Davis out for the season by any stretch, and actually expected him back well before its end on April 13, Kyrie Irving’s subsequent ACL tear may render it pointless for the power forward to return to the floor during this campaign.
Irving, the Mavericks’ other best player and a former teammate/co-champion with James (they played together in Cleveland), is out for the remainder of the year. The injury will also likely hinder him into the 2025-26 campaign.
Dallas is 32-33 and currently occupies the No. 10 seed in the Western Conference, which represents the final spot in the NBA’s Play-In Tournament on that side of the bracket. The Mavericks are 1.5 games up on the rival Phoenix Suns.
LeBron James’ Injury Could Provide Room for Luka Doncic to Assert Himself
Getty Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers.
James’ fortunes in Los Angeles have been far different. Or, at least, they had been up until he suffered a groin injury against the Boston Celtics on Saturday. The Lakers’ superstar toned down the injury, though he could miss up to a week or two as the muscle heals.
Prior to the loss in Boston, Los Angeles had won eight games in a row and vaulted itself into the No. 2 seed in the West. The Lakers own a 9-2 record since Doncic returned to the lineup from a calf injury that had sidelined him for several weeks stretching back to his time in Dallas.
It has taken some time for Doncic to find his legs after the longest in-season injury absence of his NBA career, and his overall numbers and efficiency are still below the standard he’s set as a five-time First-Team All-NBA selection.
Thus, while James’ injury could set the team back — particularly in the middle of a tough four-game road stretch — it may also give Doncic an opportunity to assert himself and regain his former footing. That could prove as a silver lining if James can come back healthy, and the superstar duo finish the year strong together and enter the playoffs with fresh legs.
