Anthony Davis gets brutally honest about season with Mavericks

A year after making it to the NBA Finals, the Mavericks failed to qualify for the playoffs. Following the conclusion of the 2024-25 campaign in Memphis, Davis was very honest about his first stint with Dallas.

According to The Dallas Morning News' Mike Curtis, Davis understands the emotions that Mavericks fans are going through. He thanked the supporters for welcoming him and fellow trade acquisition Max Christie to the franchise.

Davis noted that he did everything he could to return to the floor and make a positive impact on the team.

"I'm just very appreciative I get to play the game of basketball. Appreciative to Dallas and the fanbase and my teammates of accepting me and welcoming me with open arms, given the situation," Davis said following the loss. "It's part of basketball. You can't control what goes on...the injury happened and I tried to do everything I could to get back on the floor to finish the season and try to carry us into the playoffs. I'm just appreciative."

"Obviously, it's a lot of emotion. I know it's not directed towards me. The city loved the guy. Get rid of a guy. New guy comes in, yet they want to embrace you and they're thankful for you, it still stings," Davis continued. "I'm just thankful & appreciative for the city of Dallas & the fans for welcoming me and Max to the new situation."

In nine regular-season games with Dallas, Davis averaged 20.0 points, 10.1 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 2.2 blocks in 29.6 minutes per game. His 51 total appearances this season were the third-lowest total of his career. Davis has played in 56 or fewer games in four of the last five seasons.

It is worth highlighting that Davis elevated his game in the two play-in matchups. In the win over Sacramento and loss to Memphis, he averaged 33.5 points, 9 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 2 blocks, and a steal in 36 minutes per contest. Davis shot 48.1% from the field, 38.5% from three-point range, and 85.7% from the line.

The Mavericks never truly got a good look at their retooled squad after injuries decimated the team during the final stretch of the season. There were promising glimpses but the loss of star guard Kyrie Irving to an ACL tear was too much to overcome.

Davis is under contract through 2027-28 so it'll be interesting to see what he can do if he gets the injuries under control.