Last week, the Dallas Mavericks landed Anthony Davis in arguably the biggest trade in NBA history. In doing so, they sent former franchise player Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers. Nearly a week later, however, neither player has made their debut for the new teams. While there was some hope Davis could make his Mavericks debut against the Boston Celtics on Thursday, this did not happen. Luckily for Mavericks fans, however, they will not have to wait much longer.
In his introductory press conference (YouTube link), Davis confirmed that he will make his Mavericks debut on Saturday against the Houston Rockets.
“Yeah, I’m going to play tomorrow,” Davis confirmed.
Anthony Davis Officially Announces Date of Dallas Mavericks Debut
Anthony Davis ‘Not Surprised’ by Dallas Mavericks’ Fans Reaction to Trade
After the trade went down, many Mavericks fans were rightfully upset that the team traded Doncic. Davis said he understands the reaction and will “give the city life back.”
“I understand it. Obviously, it’s a business. I get who Luka was to this franchise & this city. I’m never going to downplay that, just how I know what I meant to the city of LA. I’m not surprised by the fan reaction & city’s reaction. It’s my job to come in & play basketball & do what I’m supposed to do & give the fans hope and assurance on who I am. Idk how tomorrow’s going to be as far as the reaction. I can’t control that. At the end of the day, I’m going to give the city life back. Obviously, it’s a tough transition. It’s a shock to all. My job is to come in & play basketball & win basketball games.”
Despite the shocking nature of the trade, there is a lot to like about Davis in Dallas. He provides exceptional defense to the team. Additionally, pairing him alongside Kyrie Irving makes for an intriguing duo.
The Last Word
Many fans still have not processed this trade, and rightfully so. It is arguably the biggest trade the NBA has ever seen, and surely the biggest one in recent history. What makes this trade even crazier is that it seemed unnecessary. The Mavericks were just in the NBA Finals in June. Additionally, Doncic and Irving were figuring things out as a duo. It also made little sense considering that Doncic is not even 26 years old yet. However, only time will tell if this trade turns out as bad as many expect for the Mavericks.
In the meantime, the Mavericks will look to make a playoff push. Currently, they are 27-25 and own the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference. In addition to adding Davis, the Mavericks traded Quentin Grimes and landed Caleb Martin from the Philadelphia 76ers. It is clear that Dallas’ front office was not too thrilled with the trajectory of the season. After a Finals appearance last season, the Mavericks have a lot of work to do to re-establish themselves as legitimate title threats. However, once Davis enters the mix, it will become a lot easier for them to do so.
© Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
The post Anthony Davis Officially Announces Date of Mavericks Debut appeared first on Last Word On Basketball.