NBA Rumors: There could be more issues on the horizon for the Dallas Mavericks and Anthony Davis.
Even though the Dallas Mavericks are still theoretically battling for one of the final spots in the Western Conference Play-In Tournament, this is a team that doesn't have much hope even if they were to sneak into the postseason. The team knows this and I'm sure many of the players do as well. As soon as Kyrie Irving went down with a torn ACL, all hope was pretty much lost for the season.
That reality is what truly complicates the impending decision on Anthony Davis' potential return back from injury. After suffering a non-contract groin injury, there's a hope that AD is slowly inching back to a return to action. However, with 12 games left in the season, I'm not sure there's much upside for the Mavs to bring AD back - especially if they can improve their draft positioning by "tanking" over the last few weeks of the regular season.
Right now, the Mavs are projected to pick 12th in the 2025 NBA Draft. However, there is a chance they could move into the top 10 if they were to drop a few more games between now and the end of the year. Of course, the only problem with that is that AD wants nothing to do with that plan. In fact, AD reportedly wants to play as soon as he's ready. AD has been practicing with the G League team (Texas Legends) to prepare for his return to action for the Mavs.
Should Anthony Davis return before the end of the regular season?
The whispers surrounding this entire "dilemma" are that the Mavs want AD to sit out the rest of the regular season and AD wants to return. In some ways, both sides are right.
The front office should take advantage of what is a strong draft and should want to improve their draft positioning if they can. There's nothing wrong with that. On the other hand, you also can't blame AD for wanting to return. With the way his debut for the Mavs was prematurely cut short, he clearly wants a redo. And if he can bring the fan base any level of optimism heading into the offseason, especially after the injuries the team has had to endure this season, that's something AD wants to provide.
This natural disconnect between AD and the Mavs is nothing new. I'm sure this is a battle that many teams and players have had to resolve over the course of this season and even in previous years. The decision of whether to shut it down or to keep pushing for what is little hope for postseason success. The Mavs and AD are figuring that out now. It's hard to predict what will end up happening, but maybe the two sides find the middle ground. Maybe the Mavs let AD play a few games before shutting him down. That may be the best resolution to appease both AD and the front office.