<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-anthony-davis-fires-strong-reaction-to-lebron-james-hof-post');   ga('set', 'title', 'Mavericks’ Anthony Davis fires strong reaction to LeBron James’ HOF post');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/LeBron-James-and-Anthony-Davis-at-a-press-conference.jpg"><figcaption>Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><h1>Mavericks’ Anthony Davis fires strong reaction to LeBron James’ HOF post</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-08T21:13:57-07:00">September 8th, 9:13pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-08T21:13:57-07:00">September 8th, 9:13pm</time><address><a href="https://letterboxd.com/splooshpuhrty/films/by/your-rating/">Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Dallas Mavericks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>LeBron James and Anthony Davis may no longer be teammates <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-when-lebron-james-learned-anthony-davis-luka-doncic-trade-revealed">after the bombshell trade</a> in February that sent the latter to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Luka Doncic, but the bond they forged during their time together on the Los Angeles Lakers remains strong as ever. This was very much apparent in the way Davis reacted to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-lebron-james-makes-unreal-flex-after-hof-induction">James’ Instagram post flexing his latest achievement</a> — making it to the Hall of Fame as a member of the 2008 Team USA squad that won gold in Beijing, the famous “Redeem Team”.</p><p>The Mavericks star, who remains close friends with James and looks likely to remain as such until their final breaths, fired up <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DOWXdOLjCHy/c/17946594236904156/?hl=en" rel="noopener">a strong reaction</a> to James’ post.</p><p>“ELITE!!!!” Davis commented.</p><p>Indeed, there are scarcely any words anyone could use to better describe James and his professional basketball career. The word “elite”, in fact, doesn’t come close to describing the incredible heights he’s reached throughout his career — and it’s not as if he’s done writing the story of his career just yet considering how he remains a top-15 to top-20 player in the NBA even though he’s pushing 41 years of age.</p><p>For Davis, it has to be <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-lebron-james-anthony-davis-post-identical-message-social-media">surreal to have experienced teaming up with James</a> for over five seasons, with only a shocking trade causing the two to part ways. The Lakers did achieve a lot of things with James and Davis leading the way, most notably winning the NBA title in 2020, that, no matter how many detractors there may be, stands as a legitimate championship.</p><p>Words must also escape the Mavericks star, especially when it’s not too often that one receives enshrinement into the Hall of Fame even though they’re still at, or at least near, the top of their game — which is where James currently stands.</p><h2><b>Anthony Davis charts a new path with the Mavericks</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Davis-vs-the-Grizzlies.jpg"><figcaption>Petre Thomas-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>This may be not how Davis planned it, but he welcomed a trade to the Mavericks since day one — especially with Dallas having the centers he so desperately wanted to play alongside. Of course, his first few months as a Maverick did not go according to plan, as he suffered an injury that kept him out for a considerable period of time, and it resulted in Dallas missing out on the playoffs entirely.</p><p>In 2025, however, the Mavericks have a fresh start. They have Cooper Flagg ready to seize the reins, and they have a deep team — making them a sleeper pick in the West especially once Kyrie Irving returns from injury.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Mavericks’ Anthony Davis fires strong reaction to LeBron James’ HOF post

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-klay-thompson-anthony-davis-claim');   ga('set', 'title', 'Mavericks’ Klay Thompson drops bold Anthony Davis claim');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Klay-Thompson-and-Anthony-Davis-celebrate-in-2025.jpg"><figcaption>Jerome Miron-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Mavericks’ Klay Thompson drops bold Anthony Davis claim</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-31T10:11:10-07:00">August 31st, 10:11am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-31T10:11:10-07:00">August 31st, 10:11am</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/joey.mistretta/" rel="facebook">Joey Mistretta</a>Joey Mistretta is a Dallas Mavericks beat reporter, Dallas Wings beat reporter and lead MLB editor for ClutchPoints. He is originally from Lake Arrowhead, California. Mistretta graduated from Biola University with a degree in broadcast journalism.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Dallas Mavericks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Dallas <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-mavericks-luka-doncic-anthony-davis-trade">Mavericks acquired Anthony Davis as part of the Luka Doncic trade</a> in February. Mavs fans were frustrated about losing Doncic — who was a franchise player in Dallas. There’s no denying the fact that losing Doncic to the Lakers is difficult, but AD is a great player and he will help the Mavericks moving forward. Klay Thompson <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CPh2Nbal6E&amp;list=PLUdtpKFGCIfe6UPCBRPsSPoRHj7FkQPdD&amp;index=3" rel="noopener">recently made an appearance</a> on the Showtime With Michael Cooper Lakers Podcast and said that Davis may be the best power forward of his generation, via NBA History &amp; Storytellers on CLNS.</p><p>“AD, when he’s healthy, he is the best power forward, maybe of my generation,” Thompson said. “I mean, you’ve been able to see him up close with the Lakers. He is a two-way force. There’s not many big men who can do what he does as far as his handle, his blocking shot ability, his freaking jump-shot… I think we personally have the best frontcourt in the NBA when we’re healthy.</p><p>“Like, we have so much depth in the frontcourt between PJ (Washington), Coop (Cooper Flagg), Gaff (Daniel Gafford), D-Live (Dereck Lively II) and AD.”</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-klay-thompson-motivated-years">Thompson also said that he believes the Mavericks’ outlook is promising</a>, adding that he is more motivated than he has been “in years.”</p><p>Dallas’ frontcourt will certainly play a pivotal role throughout the 2025-26 NBA season. Gafford and Lively are arguably the best center duo in the league, while AD is also capable of playing the five. With the aforementioned centers on the roster, though, Davis will get to spend plenty of time at power forward.</p><p>Meanwhile, Flagg and Washington can both play either small or power forward. Not only do the Mavericks feature talent and depth in the frontcourt, but there is a crucial element of versatility that will only help matters as Dallas looks to make a championship run.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Mavericks’ Klay Thompson drops bold Anthony Davis claim

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-mark-cuban-anthony-davis-dereck-lively-ii-prediction');   ga('set', 'title', 'Mark Cuban’s Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively II prediction will catch Mavericks fans’ attention');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Anthony-Davis-0-celebrates-with-Dallas-Mavericks-center-Dereck-Lively-II-2-after-scoring.jpg"><figcaption>© Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Mark Cuban’s Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively II prediction will catch Mavericks fans’ attention</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-27T10:29:46-07:00">August 27th, 10:29am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-27T10:29:46-07:00">August 27th, 10:29am</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/joey.mistretta/" rel="facebook">Joey Mistretta</a>Joey Mistretta is a Dallas Mavericks beat reporter, Dallas Wings beat reporter and lead MLB editor for ClutchPoints. He is originally from Lake Arrowhead, California. Mistretta graduated from Biola University with a degree in broadcast journalism.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Dallas Mavericks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Dallas Mavericks are looking to compete during the 2025-26 NBA season. Mark Cuban previously suggested that center <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-mark-cuban-dereck-lively-three-point-evolution">Dereck Lively II could begin taking three-point attempts</a> in games in 2025-26. During a recent appearance on the DLLS Mavs podcast, Cuban said that both Lively and Anthony Davis’ three-point shooting <a href="https://x.com/tim_cato/status/1960504699033149531" rel="noopener">will drastically impact the team</a> during the upcoming campaign, via Tim Cato of DLLS.</p><p>“I literally think our season will go as well as D-Live (Lively) and AD (Davis) shooting threes,” Cuban said.</p><p>When Cato, one of the hosts of the show, pointed out that Lively took only “one jump-shot” during the 2024-25 season, Cuban doubled down on his stance and said he now expects Lively to get the “green light.”</p><p>“I think he’s gonna get the green light,” Cuban said. “Time will tell.”</p><p>There seems to be some skepticism in reference to the idea of Lively consistently shooting three-point attempts this season, but Cuban is confident that it will come to fruition. Lively’s long-range shooting has been a subject of discussion over the past year, and the center is often seen shooting three-pointers after practices and before games.</p><p>The question now becomes whether or not Lively will take the next step and begin implementing it into game-action. For what it’s worth, the 21-year-old has never attempted a three-point shot in a regular season game and has just one postseason three-point attempt. However, that shot came in the 2024 NBA Finals when Lively found the bottom of the net against the Celtics.</p><p>Davis is not known for his three-point shooting prowess, but he has plenty of experience from beyond the arc. AD has averaged 1.6 three-point attempts per game for his career and recorded 3.3 long-range attempts per outing after <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-mavericks-luka-doncic-anthony-davis-trade">getting traded to the Mavericks</a> last season.</p><p>It will be interesting to see if Cuban’s prediction comes true during the 2025-26 NBA season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Mark Cuban’s Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively II prediction will catch Mavericks fans’ attention

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-anthony-davis-luka-doncic-top-players-watch-2025-26-stephen-a-smith-says');   ga('set', 'title', 'Anthony Davis, Luka Doncic are top players to watch in 2025-26, Stephen A. Smith says');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Mavs-Anthony-Davis-guarding-Lakers-Luka-Doncic.jpg"><figcaption>Jerome Miron-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Anthony Davis, Luka Doncic are top players to watch in 2025-26, Stephen A. Smith says</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-22T09:32:59-07:00">August 22nd, 9:32am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-23T15:40:25-07:00">August 23rd, 3:40pm</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Dallas Mavericks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>With the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-news-2025-26-regular-season-schedule-comes-with-surprising-detail">2025-26 NBA season two months away</a>, ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith released his list of the <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1958919867194556649" rel="noopener">top-five players to watch</a> entering October. The group is led by Dallas Mavericks forward Anthony Davis and Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-trade-grade-luka-doncic-deal">two stars linked by last season’s blockbuster trade</a>.</p><p>Smith placed Davis at the top of his list. The 32-year-old forward was <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-mavericks-luka-doncic-anthony-davis-trade">dealt to Dallas at the February trade deadline in exchange for Doncic</a>.</p><p>In nine games with the Mavericks, Davis averaged 20 points, 10.1 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game while shooting 46.1% from the field. Combined with his time in Los Angeles, Davis finished the 2024-25 season averaging 24.7 points, 11.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.2 blocks and 1.2 steals per game on 51.6% shooting from the field and 28.2% from three-point range across 51 games.</p><p>Doncic, who Smith ranked second, enters his first full season with the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-luka-doncic-165-million-contract-extension">Lakers after inking a three-year, $165 million contract extension</a> earlier this summer. At 26, the guard produced 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 1.6 steals per game while shooting 43.8% from the field and 37.9% from three during his 28 games with Los Angeles.</p><p>Over the entire 2024-25 campaign, Doncic averaged 28.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, 7.7 assists and 1.8 steals while shooting 45% from the field and 36.8% from three across 50 appearances.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">The top 5 NBA players to watch this season, according to Stephen A. Smith 👀</p><p>1. Anthony Davis<br>2. Luka Doncic<br>3. Kevin Durant<br>4. Jimmy Butler<br>5. Kyrie Irving</p><p>Thoughts? 🤔</p><p>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/FirstTake?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FirstTake</a>) <a href="https://t.co/9vkegGydlN">pic.twitter.com/9vkegGydlN</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1958919867194556649?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 22, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><h2><b>Anthony Davis, Luka Doncic lead Stephen A. Smith’s top-5 players to watch</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/LeBron-Luka-Lakers-2.jpg"><figcaption>Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>Smith’s list also includes Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant, who ranked third. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/kevin-durant-trade-grades-7-teams-blockbuster">Durant joined Houston this offseason in a multiteam trade</a> from the Phoenix Suns, marking another shift in his storied career.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/golden-state-warriors/warriors-news-jimmy-butler-heat-trade">Jimmy Butler followed at fourth after being traded from the Miami Heat</a> to the Golden State Warriors at the February deadline, giving Golden State an additional All-Star presence alongside Stephen Curry. Rounding out the top five is <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-kyrie-irving-gets-up-shots-after-acl-injury">Kyrie Irving, who is recovering from a torn ACL</a> suffered in March against the Sacramento Kings.</p><p>Irving, 33, remains a central figure despite the injury setback. He posted 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 47.3% from the field and 40.1% from three in 50 games last season.</p><p>The selections highlight a dramatic offseason that reshaped the league. Davis and Doncic’s trade connected two of the NBA’s most prominent franchises in a rare superstar swap, while Durant and Butler found new homes through high-profile deals that shifted the balance of power. Irving’s rehabilitation adds another storyline as the league anticipates his eventual return.</p><p>The Mavericks and Lakers are set to face off in a preseason matchup on Oct. 15, televised nationally on ESPN. Their first regular-season meeting comes on Nov. 28 in Los Angeles, a game that could serve as Davis’ return to face the Lakers since the February trade.</p><p>With Davis and Doncic headlining Stephen A. Smith’s list, the focus on both stars underscores the heightened expectations surrounding the Mavericks and Lakers as the 2025-26 season approaches.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Anthony Davis, Luka Doncic are top players to watch in 2025-26, Stephen A. Smith says

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-anthony-davis-official-nba-2k26-rating');   ga('set', 'title', 'Mavericks’ Anthony Davis lands outside of NBA 2K26’s top 10 overall rated players');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Anthony-Davis-lands-outside-of-NBA-2K26s-top-10-overall-rated-players-1.jpg"></figure><h1>Mavericks’ Anthony Davis lands outside of NBA 2K26’s top 10 overall rated players</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-20T14:27:20-07:00">August 20th, 2:27pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-20T21:09:07-07:00">August 20th, 9:09pm</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/joey.mistretta/" rel="facebook">Joey Mistretta</a>Joey Mistretta is a Dallas Mavericks beat reporter, Dallas Wings beat reporter and lead MLB editor for ClutchPoints. He is originally from Lake Arrowhead, California. Mistretta graduated from Biola University with a degree in broadcast journalism.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Dallas Mavericks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>It was recently revealed that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/mavericks-news-kyrie-irving-official-nba-2k26-rating">Kyrie Irving was rated 90 overall in NBA 2K26</a>, making him the 24th highest rated player in the game. Dallas Mavericks fans began to wonder if Irving’s teammate, Anthony Davis, would sneak into the top 10 of overall ratings. NBA 2K continued releasing player ratings on Wednesday, with the 20-11 highest rated players being announced. Davis <a href="https://x.com/NBA2K/status/1958272834423095767" rel="noopener">earned a 93 overall</a> rating, good for 12th among all players.</p><p>AD is just ahead of former Mavericks and current New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson and one spot behind Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell.</p><p>So, did NBA 2K26 get Davis’ overall rating correct?</p><p>In all reality, it is difficult to argue that there are 11 players who are better than Davis in the NBA right now. However, AD was limited to just 51 total games played in 2024-25. He also has not earned an All-Star vote since the 2019-20 season. Davis has been limited at times due to injuries, though. While on the floor, he’s often been one of the better players in the league.</p><p>NBA 2K26 arguably got Davis’ rating correct — but it is not difficult to envision the Mavericks forward instantly increasing his rating once the regular season gets underway. Irving is expected to be out until at least early 2026 while recovering from ACL surgery. 2025 No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg will likely require some time in the NBA to make the adjustment to the league before emerging as a true superstar.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/mavericks-anthony-davis-poised-biggest-nba-season">Mavericks are Anthony Davis’ team</a> heading into the new campaign. He will have a legitimate opportunity to play some of the best basketball of his career — as long as he stays healthy.</p><p>For now, Davis’ 93 overall rating is reasonable. He may finish the 2025-26 season with a significantly higher rating in the game, though. AD is poised for success in his first full season in Dallas with the Mavs.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Mavericks’ Anthony Davis lands outside of NBA 2K26’s top 10 overall rated players

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-kendrick-perkins-anthony-davis-warning-dallas-opponents');   ga('set', 'title', 'Kendrick Perkins sends Anthony Davis warning to Mavericks’ opponents');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Davis-vs-the-Grizzlies.jpg"><figcaption> Petre Thomas-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Kendrick Perkins sends Anthony Davis warning to Mavericks’ opponents</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-19T10:46:43-07:00">August 19th, 10:46am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-19T10:46:43-07:00">August 19th, 10:46am</time><address><a>Jackson Stone</a>Jackson Stone is a Mercer University senior from Atlanta on track to graduate with a BA in communications. A lifelong sports lover, Jackson is a die-hard fan of all Atlanta teams. He joined ClutchPoints in 2023.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Dallas Mavericks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/dallas-mavericks-2025-26-season-predictions">Dallas Mavericks figure to b</a>e one of the more interesting teams heading into the 2025-26 NBA season. On the one hand, Dallas will be without Kyrie Irving for at least a large chunk of the year and is still recovering from the Luka Doncic trade aftershocks, but on the other, the Mavericks will trot out an intriguing lineup featuring number one overall <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-cooper-flagg-massive-corn-maze-maine-honor">draft pick Cooper Flagg.</a></p><p>Lost in all of the hoopla surrounding Flagg is the fact that Anthony Davis remains one of the most dominant players in the game today when healthy (large caveat there), a fact Kendrick Perkins recently <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1957857100329009655" rel="noopener">reminded fans about</a> during an appearance on the Road Trippin’ Pod.</p><p>“People are sleeping on Anthony Marshon Davis Jr… He is going to be on a mission. People better watch the f*ck out for AD,” said Perkins.</p><p>It’s not often that a team acquires a consensus top ten player in a trade along with draft compensation and other young talent, but that’s exactly the situation that the Mavericks found themselves in when they traded Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers last February in a move that was widely panned as one of the worst in sports history.</p><p>However, with Davis back in the fold and Flagg now added to the mix, the Mavericks have the potential to make waves this upcoming season.</p><h2><b>A big year for the Mavericks</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Flagg-during-Summer-League.jpg"><figcaption>Candice Ward-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Any doubt about whether the Mavericks would stay in the limelight in the aftermath of trading Doncic was erased the second the ping pong balls bounced their way on NBA lottery night.</p><p>The Mavericks’ high profile around the league has since been confirmed with the recent release of their schedule, which features nationally televised games on both opening night and Christmas Day.</p><p>While the Mavericks likely won’t have enough to be a true threat to begin the season, they very well may once Irving returns to the lineup, although at this point there is no clear indication on when that will be.</p><p>Regardless, Dallas figures to be a fascinating team to keep an eye on in 2025-26. The Mavericks will open their season on October 22 against the San Antonio Spurs.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Kendrick Perkins sends Anthony Davis warning to Mavericks’ opponents

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-lebron-james-anthony-davis-post-identical-message-social-media');   ga('set', 'title', 'Lakers’ LeBron James, Anthony Davis post identical cryptic message on social media');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Los-Angeles-Lakers-forward-LeBron-James-3.jpg"><figcaption>Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Lakers’ LeBron James, Anthony Davis post identical cryptic message on social media</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-12T12:41:27-07:00">August 12th, 12:41pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-12T14:42:12-07:00">August 12th, 2:42pm</time><address><a>Zachary Howell</a>Zachary Howell is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints focusing on creating premier MLB content. He is a big fan of the Yankees, Oklahoma City Thunder and the Syracuse Orange. In his free time, he likes to be outside or read.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Lakers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>During their time on the Los Angeles Lakers, LeBron James and Anthony Davis were very close. Even after <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-mavericks-luka-doncic-anthony-davis-trade">Davis moved on as a part of the Luka Doncic trade</a>, he and James remain good friends. Even though he is on the Dallas Mavericks now, Davis showed that he is still learning lessons from his former teammate. Both All-Stars posted the same message on their social media pages.</p><p>James and Davis <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1955346450549715417" rel="noopener">put up a pensive post</a> on their Instagram pages, sparking a lot of intrigue from fans.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">LeBron James and Anthony Davis just posted the same quote on their IG stories 👀</p><p>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/KingJames?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KingJames</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/AntDavis23?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AntDavis23</a>) <a href="https://t.co/44UoPpKPJD">pic.twitter.com/44UoPpKPJD</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1955346450549715417?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 12, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“Becoming the best version of yourself comes with a lot of goodbyes,” the post read.</p><p>The posts created a lot of fanfare when they went up. Fans wonder what the meaning behind it is and why both players posted it at the same time. At surface level, it looks like James and Davis are ready to move on with the next chapter of their careers. They spent five and a half seasons with one another in Los Angeles, winning a title in 2020.</p><p>James has been active on Instagram throughout the offseason, but his latest post sparked a lot of intrigue. It looks like both All-Stars are excited to kick off the 2025-26 NBA season. James’ new running mate, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-luka-doncic-165-million-contract-extension">Luka Doncic, signed his contract extension</a> that keeps in with the Lakers. James might not be there by the end of the extension, but Los Angeles has a chance to win now.</p><p>On the other side of the post, Davis enters the season as the face of his new team. He gets to play alongside <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-dallas-officially-selects-cooper-flagg-2025-nba-draft">Cooper Flagg, the Mavericks’ No. 1 selection in the NBA Draft</a>. Kyrie Irving won’t be on the court for the first half of the season with injury. However, many expect that Dallas will be dangerous when they are fully healthy.</p><p>After a tumultuous second half of the season for each of them, James and Davis are ready to move on. Each of them enter the season under immense pressure to perform next season. However, the former Lakers’ duo have put their past behind them and are excited to get to work on the 2025-26 season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Lakers’ LeBron James, Anthony Davis post identical cryptic message on social media

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-anthony-davis-poised-biggest-nba-season');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why Mavericks’ Anthony Davis is poised for biggest NBA season yet');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Why-Mavericks-Anthony-Davis-is-poised-for-biggest-NBA-season-yet.jpg"></figure><h1>Why Mavericks’ Anthony Davis is poised for biggest NBA season yet</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-09T14:32:10-07:00">August 9th, 2:32pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-09T14:32:10-07:00">August 9th, 2:32pm</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/joey.mistretta/" rel="facebook">Joey Mistretta</a>Joey Mistretta is a Dallas Mavericks beat reporter, Dallas Wings beat reporter and lead MLB editor for ClutchPoints. He is originally from Lake Arrowhead, California. Mistretta graduated from Biola University with a degree in broadcast journalism.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Dallas Mavericks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Will Anthony Davis be able to have his best NBA season at 32 years old? Yes, he will need to stay healthy — but that goes without saying. If AD is able to stay on the floor, the Dallas Mavericks forward may just be poised for his best NBA campaign yet in 2025-26.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/lakers-news-mavericks-luka-doncic-anthony-davis-trade">Mavericks’ decision to trade Luka Doncic</a> in February before the 2025 NBA trade deadline drew backlash from fans. Dallas acquired Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first round pick, but the idea of losing a franchise superstar — especially to a rival such as the Lakers — left fans feeling frustrated.</p><p>The move itself was questionable. However, general manager Nico Harrison has built a deep roster around Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving (<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/mavericks-kyrie-irving-undergoes-successful-surgery-on-acl-tear">Irving is currently recovering from ACL surgery</a> and will miss the beginning of the 2025-26 season).</p><p>With a deep roster and the chance to be the best player on a potential contender, Davis is in an overall strong position. He’s had impressive seasons before, however, so what makes this year different?</p><h2><b>Anthony Davis set to lead Mavericks</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Mavericks-star-Anthony-Davis.jpg"><figcaption>Petre Thomas-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>AD began his career in New Orleans with the Pelicans. He finished as high as third in NBA MVP voting in New Orleans. The Pelicans, though, never established themselves as legitimate championship contenders.</p><p>In LA with the Lakers, Davis was the second option at times behind LeBron James. Even when Davis began to become the first option, James still received plenty of opportunities. Davis finished sixth in MVP voting in 2019-20 and the Lakers won a championship, but it always seemed like AD was capable of even more.</p><p>Now he is preparing for his first season with an intriguing Mavericks squad. AD was limited to nine games played with Dallas following the February trade this past season. He averaged 20 points, 10.1 rebounds and 4.4 assists per outing while shooting 46.1 percent from the field.</p><p>He will drastically improve his scoring in a full season with the Mavs. And for Davis, this season represents the best of both worlds from his chapters in New Orleans and LA. There is a chance that Dallas could seriously compete for a championship, while Davis will be the unquestioned No. 1 option. Even when Kyrie returns, the Mavs’ offense is likely going to play through AD.</p><h2><b>The roster around AD</b></h2><p>The Lakers struggled to find consistency at the center position aside from Davis. The Mavs, meanwhile, currently feature both Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford. Will the Mavericks implement small-ball lineups on occasion that feature AD at center? Sure, but Davis will also receive no shortage of time at power forward.</p><p>He seems to prefer the four as opposed to the five. Playing the position gives him additional opportunities to stretch the floor while still making a significant impact on defense.</p><p>Forwards Cooper Flagg, PJ Washington and Naji Marshall are all strong defenders in addition to Lively and Gafford, which means AD won’t need to work quite as hard on the defensive end of the floor. Not only could that end up leading to an all-around healthier season for the big man, but it could lead to improved offensive efficiency as he will likely have more energy on the other end of the floor. Having shooters like Klay Thompson and Max Christie on the wings will provide AD with opportunities to kick out from the post.</p><p>Irving’s play-making will be missed from the guard position until he returns. The good news is that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/mavericks-news-dangelo-russell-kyrie-irvings-replacement-13-million-contract">D’Angelo Russell — who the Mavericks signed</a> this offseason — will help to fill the void.</p><p>Between having the opportunity to lead a contender and playing on a roster that fits well around him, the 2025-26 season could prove to be a memorable campaign for Anthony Davis.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Why Mavericks’ Anthony Davis is poised for biggest NBA season yet

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-anthony-davis-grabs-attention-cryptic-thursday-post');   ga('set', 'title', 'Mavericks’ Anthony Davis grabs attention with cryptic Thursday night post');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Anthony-Davis.jpg"><figcaption>Petre Thomas-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Mavericks’ Anthony Davis grabs attention with cryptic Thursday night post</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-31T22:31:19-07:00">July 31st, 10:31pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-01T14:45:14-07:00">August 1st, 2:45pm</time><address><a>Paolo Mariano</a>Paolo Mariano is a freelance writer, editor, and producer based in Manila, Philippines. He is a journalism graduate from the University of Santo Tomas and the father of a young girl whose personality swings from Simone Biles to Dillon Brooks. A beacon of objectivity, he believes Penny Hardaway is the true NBA GOAT.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Dallas Mavericks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>All-Star forward <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-dallas-preseason-schedule-lakers-thunder-games">Anthony Davis will be on a redemption tour</a> as he enters his first full run with the Dallas Mavericks. He only played nine games with the team last season due to a left adductor injury. </p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-anthony-davis-undergoes-eye-procedure">Davis underwent a procedure to repair a detached retina</a> last month, but he is expected to be fully ready for training camp. The Mavericks cannot afford to lose Davis anew as they’re already without All-Star guard Kyrie Irving, who’s recovering from an ACL injury.</p><p>Fans, however, grew concerned after the 32-year-old Davis’ cryptic message on his Instagram Story on Thursday. He posted a sad emoji and a prayer emoji over a black background.</p><p>“Anthony Davis on his IG Story. Hope all is well,” <a href="https://x.com/MavsFilmRoom/status/1951052096071147727" rel="noopener">said</a> @MavsFilmRoom, sharing a screenshot of Davis’ post.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Anthony Davis on his IG story</p><p>Hope all is well 🙏🏽 <a href="https://t.co/KL2EVgmCiV">pic.twitter.com/KL2EVgmCiV</a></p><p>— Mavs Film Room 🐴🎥 (@MavsFilmRoom) <a href="https://twitter.com/MavsFilmRoom/status/1951052096071147727?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 31, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>@LukaFourThree <a href="https://twitter.com/LukaFourThree/status/1951056093238665411">reposted the above tweet</a> and added: “I think Anthony Davis might be getting a divorce or something, he’s been in his feelings on the gram recently.” </p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">i think anthony davis might be getting a divorce or something, he been in his feelings on the gram recently.</p><p>yesterday was “a man who doesnt care at all was once a man who cared too much” and today is this…</p><p>prayers 🙏 <a href="https://t.co/pmO8ILLeJY">https://t.co/pmO8ILLeJY</a></p><p>— ClarkSZN (@LukaFourThree) <a href="https://twitter.com/LukaFourThree/status/1951056093238665411?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 31, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>@DavisFC2012 also expressed his message of support for the Mavericks big man.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Damn my 🐐 Anthony Davis going through something 😞 , hope everything is ok man 🙏 <a href="https://t.co/K6k9O1ddj6">pic.twitter.com/K6k9O1ddj6</a></p><p>— HoodieDavis (@DavisFC2012) <a href="https://twitter.com/DavisFC2012/status/1951079655093764598?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 1, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“Is Anthony Davis good? He’s been posting some depressing things on IG,” <a href="https://x.com/itsejh/status/1951075716982030477" rel="noopener">asked</a> @itsejh.</p><p>“Anthony Davis posting on his Instagram Story like his surgery went as bad as possible,” <a href="https://x.com/SeagerSmashin/status/1951055398753980699" rel="noopener">wrote</a> @SeagerSmashin.</p><p>It’s imprudent to speculate on what Davis is going through right now, especially if it turns out to be something deeply personal.</p><p>Last month, the five-time All-NBA Team member <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2025/07/31/anthony-davis-puts-los-angeles-mansion-on-market/" rel="noopener">listed his eight-bedroom mansion</a> in Los Angeles for nearly $40 million, according to a report from TMZ Sports. It added that the exclusive property has “17,254 square feet of pure luxury.”</p><p>With Irving still sidelined, Davis will be the centerpiece of the Mavericks in the upcoming season. When healthy and engaged, he is one of the most dominant two-way players in the NBA.</p><p>In 51 games for the Mavericks and the Los Angeles Lakers last season, he averaged 24.7 points, 11.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.2 steals, and 2.2 blocks per game.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Mavericks’ Anthony Davis grabs attention with cryptic Thursday night post

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-anthony-davis-undergoes-eye-procedure');   ga('set', 'title', 'Mavericks’ Anthony Davis undergoes eye procedure');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/740390850-anthony-davis-rockets.jpg"><figcaption>Jerome Miron-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Mavericks’ Anthony Davis undergoes eye procedure</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-08T10:45:15-07:00">July 8th, 10:45am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-08T11:01:23-07:00">July 8th, 11:01am</time><address><a>Brett Siegel</a>Brett Siegel joined ClutchPoints as a credentialed NBA insider and reporter in May 2023 after previously covering the NBA for Fastbreak on FanNation and NBA Analysis Network, as well as working with Louisville Basketball. From playing to coaching to covering the game as a media member, Brett has been involved with the game of basketball from many different perspectives. Breaking the news of various free agent signings, yearly NBA Draft news and other key stories around the league, Brett is always on the phone, getting the latest news and rumors around the NBA. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @BrettSiegelNBA.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Dallas Mavericks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Dallas Mavericks star big man Anthony Davis recently <a href="https://x.com/ShamsCharania/status/1942635398829682772" rel="noopener">underwent a procedure</a> to repair a detached retina he suffered during the 2024-25 NBA season, according to Shams Charania. He is expected to make a full recovery and be ready for the start of training camp in September.</p><p>Throughout the year, Davis was hit in the face multiple times, which led to a variety of eye injuries, some of which led to him wearing protective eyewear on the court.</p><p>Detached retina injuries are extremely time-sensitive and must be addressed immediately. If Davis had suffered a full detached retina in the middle of the 2024-25 season, he would’ve needed emergency surgery right away to avoid permanent damage and vision loss.</p><p>As a result, what Davis likely suffered was a small tear in the retina and an injury that could lead to detachment. In this case, Davis would’ve been allowed to play through the injury and have his eye fixed with a laser to prevent full retinal detachment in the offseason.</p><p>The good news for Davis and the Mavericks is that this is not a long-term injury, and he should be able to continue his offseason workouts as planned. Barring some unforeseen circumstances, Davis will be ready to go for training camp before the 2025-26 season.</p><p>This past year was a rollercoaster ride for the Mavs and their fans. Aside from missing the playoffs one year after making it to the NBA Finals and seeing <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-kyrie-irving-out-injury-torn-acl">Kyrie Irving suffer a torn ACL</a>, Dallas’ leadership, specifically GM Nico Harrison, was under heavy scrutiny for <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-luka-doncic-anthony-davis-trade-makes-nba-history">trading Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Davis</a>.</p><p>Doncic, who was the face of the Mavs franchise, was blindsided like the rest of the NBA when this trade was announced. Harrison took a major chance with this trade, and so far, it has not gone as he imagined due to multiple injuries his team battled.</p><p>Entering the 2025-26 season, the Mavericks have high expectations for Davis and this roster.</p><p>While Irving will continue to rehab his torn ACL behind the scenes, Dallas will receive <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-dangelo-russell-kyrie-irvings-replacement-13-million-contract">key contributions from D’Angelo Russell</a>, whom the organization added in free agency. First-overall pick <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-cooper-flagg-point-guard-kyrie-irving-return-injury">Cooper Flagg will also hold a major role</a> in the Mavericks’ attempt to regain their championship relevance.</p><p>Although fans in Dallas may never respect or cheer for Harrison again, they will continue to support their team and Davis. With a full offseason to recover and adapt to the area, Davis will be ready to embark on new challenges with the Mavericks.</p><p>In 51 games last season with the Lakers and Mavericks, Davis averaged 24.7 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per game while shooting 51.6 percent from the floor. He was named an All-Star for the 10th time in his career.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Mavericks’ Anthony Davis undergoes eye procedure

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-cooper-flagg-gets-100-real-on-playing-with-anthony-davis-kyrie-irving');   ga('set', 'title', 'Mavericks’ Cooper Flagg gets 100% real on playing with Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Mavericks-rookie-Cooper-Flagg-Mavericks-Nico-Harrison.jpg"><figcaption>Jerome Miron-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Mavericks’ Cooper Flagg gets 100% real on playing with Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-27T14:55:25-07:00">June 27th, 2:55pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-27T15:27:44-07:00">June 27th, 3:27pm</time><address><a>Josue Pavon</a>Josue Pavon is an Associate Editor and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat writer for ClutchPoints. He started his career as a credentialed media member writing about the Boston Celtics for WEEI.com in Boston, where he grew into a local on-camera NBA reporter and podcast host for CLNS Media. Alongside the Celtics radio broadcaster and two-time NBA champion Cedric Maxwell, Josue is the co-host of the Cedric Maxwell podcast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Dallas Mavericks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>As the first overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg will be sharing the floor with future Hall of Fame teammates such as Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, and Klay Thompson.</p><p>Shortly after being selected first, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-cooper-flagg-message-fans-nba-draft">Flagg sent a message to Mavericks fans</a>, sharing his excitement about playing in Dallas before he was formally introduced during the team’s press conference.</p><p>Flagg is eager to learn from the Mavericks’ most experienced veterans, who carry NBA championship experience, with <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1938650874974282183" rel="noopener">hopes of returning</a> to the big stage.</p><p>“Just being able to be a sponge, those guys have so much knowledge,” Flagg said. “They’ve been through so much, and they have so much experience that it’s just going to be an incredible opportunity for me to learn and grow under them.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">"Just being able to be a sponge, those guys have so much knowledge. They’ve been through so much.”</p><p>Cooper Flagg on the opportunity to play with Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, and Klay Thompson 🙌</p><p>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NBA</a>)<a href="https://t.co/GJWxzvVgxv">pic.twitter.com/GJWxzvVgxv</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1938650874974282183?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 27, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Flagg <a href="https://twitter.com/dallasmavs/status/1938048169583194509" rel="noopener">addressed</a> the Mavericks fans, which was posted on the team’s X, formerly Twitter.</p><p>“Hey Mavs fans, it’s Cooper Flagg. You know I’m really excited to be a Dallas Maverick, and I can’t wait to see you guys soon.”</p><p>While Irving recovers from an ACL tear, Flagg will make his debut alongside Davis and Thompson in the Mavericks’ 2025-26 regular-season opener. In a competitive Western Conference, fans are eager to see how Flagg adapts to the NBA. His first step will be in Mavericks’ summer league games.</p><h2><b>Nico Harrison doubles down on Cooper Flagg take for Mavs fans</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Mavericks-rookie-Cooper-Flagg-Mavericks-Nico-Harrison-2.jpg"><figcaption>Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>After agreeing to arguably the most shocking trade in NBA history with the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis, Mavericks GM <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-nico-harrison-doubles-down-on-how-cooper-flagg-addition-will-win-back-fans-hearts">Nico Harrison believes fans will love Cooper Flagg</a>. He’s confident Flagg will win back the fans’ hearts for trading Luka Doncic to the Lakers.</p><p>Harrison also believes winning will help as well, while Mavericks <a href="https://twitter.com/JoeyMistretta_/status/1938671242271433219/" rel="noopener">fans adapt</a> to Flagg, the NBA’s top prospect, alongside Davis, amid the beginning of his first full season in Dallas.</p><p>“Yeah, I think so. I think it will help,” Harrison said. “Most importantly, I think we’re in winning now mode. We have a really good team and Cooper adds to that so I think the fans finally start to see the vision.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Nico Harrison was asked (again) if drafting Cooper Flagg will heal the relationship with Mavericks fans. </p><p>He doubled down on his previous answer.</p><p>"Yeah, I think so… I think it will help."</p><p>Says Dallas is in "win-now" mode and the "fans finally start to see the vision."<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MFFL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MFFL</a> <a href="https://t.co/xAvA16tu75">pic.twitter.com/xAvA16tu75</a></p><p>— Joey Mistretta (@JoeyMistretta_) <a href="https://twitter.com/JoeyMistretta_/status/1938671242271433219?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 27, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Mavericks fans will get their first glimpse amid Flagg’s performance in summer league play next week. In the meantime, many wonder who the Mavericks could be targeting in free agency to address the void of injured starting guard Kyrie Irving. In a competitive Western Conference, the Mavericks will look to return to the upper echelon after finishing with a 39-43 record.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Mavericks’ Cooper Flagg gets 100% real on playing with Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-anthony-davis-sends-message-cooper-flagg-dallas-selection');   ga('set', 'title', 'Mavericks’ Anthony Davis sends message to Cooper Flagg after Dallas’ selection');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Cooper-Flagg-unsurprising-Rookie-of-the-Year-favorite-after-2025-NBA-Draft.jpg"><figcaption>Credit: Brad Penner</figcaption></figure><h1>Mavericks’ Anthony Davis sends message to Cooper Flagg after Dallas’ selection</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-27T10:38:18-07:00">June 27th, 10:38am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-27T10:43:35-07:00">June 27th, 10:43am</time><address><a>Guillermo Guajardo</a>Guillermo Guajardo is a dynamic sports presenter with experience on various television channels and digital platforms, most recently with A Tiempo.TV. He is also a multidisciplinary artist with 10 years of experience in acting, directing, writing, and hosting. His work in film has been recognized at international festivals, earning awards for both his performances and directorial projects.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Dallas Mavericks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>New Dallas Mavericks star <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/mavericks-news-dallas-officially-selects-cooper-flagg-2025-nba-draft">Cooper Flagg officially made history on Wednesday</a> night by becoming the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. This achievement places him among a select group of elite prospects. Right after the announcement, Flagg received a heartfelt video message from his new teammate and fellow No. 1 pick, Anthony Davis, who welcomed him to the crew and recalled a previous time they met.</p><p>The Mavericks now have an unprecedented trio of top overall picks on their roster. Flagg is joining Kyrie Irving, the first overall pick out of Duke in 2011, and Davis, who went No. 1 in 2012. in 2012. The franchise quickly released a video narrated by Irving, where he reflected on the significance of being the top pick and the journey it takes to earn and uphold that honor. <a href="https://x.com/dallasmavs" rel="noopener">Later that evening, a more personal message</a> from Davis was shared.</p><p>“From one number one overall pick to another, congratulations, man,” Davis said in the video. “Welcome to Dallas, I’m thrilled to have you here. Enjoy this night with your family. I still remember that time you hit that three-pointer over me in Vegas last summer, so I’ve got to get you back for that… We’ll get some work in soon, but for now, enjoy your night and stay safe,” Davis added.</p><p>The moment Davis mentioned took place during a Team USA training scrimmage last summer, where<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/ncaa-basketball/duke-basketball-news-cooper-flagg-lebron-james-team-usa"> Flagg played for the USA Select Team</a> against the national team in preparation for the Paris Olympics. The young forward made a memorable three-pointer over Davis—an instant that quickly went viral and helped boost his rising reputation.</p><p>Flagg’s journey to the top of the draft has been closely watched since his high school days, and his impressive season at Duke solidified his position as the first overall pick. He and Davis share more than just their No. 1 draft status; both have received the Wooden Award, which honors the most outstanding player in college basketball, joining an elite group that includes Kevin Durant and Zion Williamson.</p><p>Now that he’s officially a part of the Mavericks, Flagg is stepping into the NBA with the support of a seasoned star. Fans will be keeping a close eye on how this unique group of former top picks evolves in the future.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Mavericks’ Anthony Davis sends message to Cooper Flagg after Dallas’ selection

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-fans-push-back-michael-wilbons-anthony-davis-hof-claim');   ga('set', 'title', 'Mavericks fans push back at Michael Wilbon’s Anthony Davis’ HOF claim');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Dallas-Mavericks-forward-Anthony-Davis.jpg"><figcaption>Jerome Miron-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Mavericks fans push back at Michael Wilbon’s Anthony Davis’ HOF claim</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-26T18:10:12-07:00">June 26th, 6:10pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-26T18:10:12-07:00">June 26th, 6:10pm</time><address><a>Zachary Howell</a>Zachary Howell is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints focusing on creating premier MLB content. He is a big fan of the Yankees, Oklahoma City Thunder and the Syracuse Orange. In his free time, he likes to be outside or read.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Dallas Mavericks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Dallas Mavericks look very different now than they did a year ago. After trading away Luka Doncic before the trade deadline, Dallas missed the playoffs. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-dallas-officially-selects-cooper-flagg-2025-nba-draft">Mavericks then won the NBA Draft Lottery and picked Cooper Flagg</a>. He joins a roster featuring Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, and Anthony Davis.</p><p>NBA experts, like ESPN’s Michael Wilbon, believe that when they are healthy, Dallas can compete with the Oklahoma City Thunder for the top spot in the Western Conference. In his eyes, Flagg walks into a locker room with three players <a href="https://x.com/awfulannouncing/status/1938381627312509166" rel="noopener">on their way</a> to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Michael Wilbon: "[The Mavericks have] Anthony Davis, Klay Thompson- guys going to the Hall of Fame."</p><p>Tony Kornheiser: "Did you just say that Anthony Davis is going to the Hall of Fame? Are you certain of that… You have Anthony Davis in the Hall of Fame without a doubt?" <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBA</a> <a href="https://t.co/Otqp9gC5sI">pic.twitter.com/Otqp9gC5sI</a></p><p>— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) <a href="https://twitter.com/awfulannouncing/status/1938381627312509166?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 26, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“You got Kyrie Irving, who we’ve seen help a team to the [NBA] Finals,” Wilbon said about Flagg’s new teammates. “[The Mavericks have] Anthony Davis, Klay Thompson-guys going to the Hall of Fame.”</p><p>Wilbon’s <i>Pardon the Interruption </i>co-host, Tony Kornheiser, was surprised at Wilbon’s statement. He asked his fellow analyst to clarify what he said about Davis’ chances at the Hall of Fame.</p><p>“Did you just say that Anthony Davis is going to the Hall of Fame? Are you certain of that,” Kornheiser asked Wilbon. “You have Anthony Davis in the Hall of Fame without a doubt?”</p><p>Wilbon confirmed what Kornheiser heard. His claim sparked conversation among Mavericks fans on social media who disagree. To them, Davis has not done enough to get into the Hall of Fame yet. However, they believe that he will find a way because of how low the bar has been set.</p><p>“AD doesn’t deserve it, unfortunately he will still get in,” one fan <a href="https://x.com/TRAVIRO13/status/1938390948917960789" rel="noopener">commented</a>. “H*** they’ll find a way to put Embiid in it’s that easy.”</p><p>“Everyone gets into the basketball Hall of Fame,” another fan <a href="https://x.com/RyanSev09/status/1938392591932047843" rel="noopener">said</a>.”</p><p>“I would literally bet the life of myself and everybody I care about that AD is a locked hall of famer,” one fan <a href="https://x.com/NorthSideW3/status/1938392682432254392" rel="noopener">claimed</a>. “There is absolutely zero chance he doesn’t make it first ballot unless he does something so terrible that they exclude him.”</p><p>Other fans took to Davis’ defense, saying that his basketball career grants him consideration.</p><p>“I get Tony’s apprehension because AD isn’t a Top 75 player in my opinion, but he’s a hall of famer,” one fan <a href="https://x.com/texasoccer5/status/1938394676987310400" rel="noopener">commented</a>. “He was DOMINANT in college as well and the basketball hall of fame accounts for both.”</p><p>“Asking if an NCAA Champion, Final Four Most Oustanding Player, Naismith and Wooden Award, first overall pick, NBA ROY, 5× All NBA, 5× All defense, NBA champion, 2 time gold medal winner is a hall of famer is wild,” another <a href="https://x.com/BraveHawk404/status/1938391438703657218" rel="noopener">pointed out</a>.</p><p>Davis will have a chance to prove Wilbon right next season. He, Flagg, Thompson, and Irving one of a few teams picked to be serious contenders in the Western Conference next season after <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-kyrie-irving-contract-option-119-million-deal">Irving signed his extension with Dallas</a>.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Mavericks fans push back at Michael Wilbon’s Anthony Davis’ HOF claim

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-cooper-flagg-kyrie-irving-anthony-davis-kon-knueppel');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cooper Flagg’s Duke teammate breaks down potential fit alongside Mavericks’ Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Cooper-Flagg-and-Kon-Knueppel-talking-during-2025-NCAA-Tournament.jpg"><figcaption>Bob Donnan-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Cooper Flagg’s Duke teammate breaks down potential fit alongside Mavericks’ Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-18T09:29:10-07:00">June 18th, 9:29am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-18T09:29:10-07:00">June 18th, 9:29am</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/joey.mistretta/" rel="facebook">Joey Mistretta</a>Joey Mistretta is a Dallas Mavericks beat reporter, Dallas Wings beat reporter and lead MLB editor for ClutchPoints. He is originally from Lake Arrowhead, California. Mistretta graduated from Biola University with a degree in broadcast journalism.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Dallas Mavericks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Dallas <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/2025-nba-draft-lottery-winners-losers-after-mavericks-no-1-pick">Mavericks won the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery</a> and are <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/mavericks-news-cooper-flaggs-instant-reaction-winning-nba-draft-lottery">expected to select Cooper Flagg</a> out of Duke with the first overall pick. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wh4yZZQkY-w&amp;t=8055s" rel="noopener">During an appearance</a> on Bill Simmons’ podcast, Flagg’s former Duke teammate, Kon Knueppel, discussed Flagg’s potential fit alongside Anthony Davis.</p><p>“It will be weird, I don’t know who’s going to guard, like is Cooper getting their best defender? That’s a really good situation to come into as a rookie,” Knueppel said. “And I think it will be able to let him have the ball… Be able to play-make and Kyrie is going to have the ball in his hands, Davis is going to have the ball in his hands, but I really think, Cooper, that’ll be a really good spot for him right away at least to be able to come in and contribute in a big way.</p><p>“I think it’ll be on a good team where it’s not just like empty calories for a team that isn’t really maybe not going anywhere. But I think that will fuel his fire, you know. He wants to win.”</p><p>Kon Knueppel, who is also going to be an intriguing prospect in the ’25 NBA Draft, believes the Mavericks are an overall quality fit for Cooper Flagg. Flagg was the top scoring option during his time with Duke. However, he may be a third scoring option once Kyrie Irving returns from injury. To begin the season, Flagg will likely be the second scoring option behind Anthony Davis.</p><p>With that being said, the Mavericks will want to ensure that Klay Thomson is receiving a respectable amount of looks as well. Jason Kidd will have plenty of options. It will be interesting to see how he navigates the situation between the veterans and the rookie.</p><p>Of course, Cooper Flagg isn’t even technically a member of the Mavericks as of this story’s writing. Barring a shocking NBA Draft trade, though, Flagg will likely end up joining Davis and Irving in Dallas.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cooper Flagg’s Duke teammate breaks down potential fit alongside Mavericks’ Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/dallas-mavericks/2-anthony-davis-trades-mavericks-must-consider-to-fully-build-around-cooper-flagg');   ga('set', 'title', '2 Anthony Davis trades Mavericks must consider to fully build around Cooper Flagg');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/740390836-2-anthony-davis-trades-mavericks-must-consider-to-fully-build-around-cooper-flagg.jpg"></figure><h1>2 Anthony Davis trades Mavericks must consider to fully build around Cooper Flagg</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-05-13T15:12:20-07:00">May 13th, 3:12pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-05-13T15:12:20-07:00">May 13th, 3:12pm</time><address><a>Bailey Bassett</a>Bailey Bassett is a sports writer from Denver, Colorado, covering major sports events and athlete backgrounds at ClutchPoints. He has experience covering and writing on high school, collegiate, and professional sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Dallas Mavericks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Dallas Mavericks shocked the world when they <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-trade-grade-luka-doncic-anthony-davis-blockbuster">traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers</a> for a package centered around Anthony Davis. Many fans and media heavily criticized the move. But general manager Nico Harrison justified it by <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6281512/2025/04/24/mavericks-gm-nico-harrison-defense-wins-championships/" rel="noopener">claiming that</a> defense wins championships.</p><p>After all, while injury-prone and aging, Davis certainly is one of the best defensive players in the NBA. Even so, it seemed like Mavericks fans might never recover from the trading of their young Slovenian superstar.</p><p>Almost all was forgiven when the trade indirectly (or <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-news-league-releases-video-of-draft-lottery-amid-social-media-rigged-claims" rel="noopener">maybe not so indirectly</a>?) resulted in the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/mavericks-news-win-cooper-flagg-sweepstakes-2025-nba-draft-lottery">Mavericks winning the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery</a> and earning the top overall pick, though.</p><p>Dallas’ struggles after trading Doncic and suffering through a spate of injuries led to them becoming a lottery team. And they soared up the draft board despite just the 11th-best odds to land the No. 1 pick and the chance to draft Cooper Flagg.</p><p>The forward from Duke is one of the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/cooper-flagg-nba-draft-prospects-all-time-rankings">best draft prospects ever</a>. And he can make for a great replacement for Doncic. However, Flagg plays the power forward position, which happens to be the same position that Davis plays.</p><p>The two can likely coexist with Davis moving over to center, his less-preferred position, and a trade involving Davis is unlikely because of how much they’ve invested into him. Even so, Flagg is the future of Dallas. And there are players who would better fit alongside him on the Mavericks roster.</p><p>So here are two trades involving Davis that the Mavericks would have to consider. These deals are highly unlikely, but there really is no predicting what Harrison is willing to do in the trade market.</p><h2><b>Mavericks get a haul from the Rockets</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/740390850-anthony-davis-rockets.jpg"><figcaption>Jerome Miron-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p><b>Rockets receive:</b> Anthony Davis</p><p><b>Mavericks receive:</b> Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr., Reed Sheppard, 2025 first-round pick (via Suns)</p><p>Nearly everybody agreed that the trade of Doncic for Davis was a mistake the second the Mavs pulled the trigger on it. Davis is on the wrong side of 30 years old and has played in no more than 62 games in every season but 2023-24 since 2017-18. Injuries are a yearly reality with Davis. And although he is great when he plays, he is also well past his prime.</p><p>Now that Flagg will be leading the way for the Mavericks going forward, reestablishing a youth movement of sorts could make sense for Dallas. Flagg can contribute to winning right away, so they won’t want to blow things completely up. Dealing Davis for young veterans like Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr., and Reed Sheppard could make sense, though.</p><p>Green and Smith were key contributors on a Rockets team that earned the two-seed in the Western Conference this season. Green is in the hot seat in Houston after a bad playoff run, which could make him available in a trade, but a bad stretch of games shouldn’t completely erase his value.</p><p>While inconsistent throughout his young career, Green can get hot and score like one of the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/nba-top-100-player-rankings-2024-25-season">best players in the NBA</a>. He is an incredible athlete and slasher. And when his jump shot is on, he is nearly unstoppable. At this point, Green might be more of a sparkplug scorer than a future star. But he still has the potential to become a special player.</p><p>With <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-kyrie-irving-undergoes-successful-surgery-on-acl-tear">Kyrie Irving missing most of next season</a>, if not all, because of an ACL tear, the Mavericks are going to need some more scoring pop. They obviously have plenty of defense, but the team was heavily reliant on Irving to create for himself and others, and now they will be without their top offensive threat.</p><p>The Rockets drafted Green second overall in 2021 and Smith third overall just a year later. Smith is another player with a proven skill set who still has room for improvement. He is an impressive defensive player who can score from all over the floor on offense.</p><p>The Mavs would also receive Reed Sheppard in this trade. Sheppard saw limited playing time after the Rockets drafted him third overall in 2025, but he tore up the G-League and could break out given a bigger opportunity. Houston’s depth might make it hard for him to get heavy rotation minutes going forward, though.</p><p>The Mavericks are thin in the backcourt, so Sheppard could take a big step forward in his development in year two if the Rockets traded him to Dallas. All three of Green, Smith, and Sheppard are close to Flagg in age, so they could all grow together.</p><p>As proven commodities, though, the Mavericks wouldn’t have to worry about them not translating to the professional game like they would with a bunch of draft picks.</p><p>The Rockets are one of the teams most anxious to trade for a superstar this offseason. While they’d likely rather trade draft capital than three potential rotation pieces, they’d still be happy to land Davis. The power forward is a dream fit alongside Alperen Sengun. And AD is the piece who could get the roster over the top.</p><h2><b>Mavericks get younger in a trade with the Nuggets</b></h2><p><b>Nuggets receive:</b> Anthony Davis</p><p><b>Mavericks receive:</b> 2031 first-round pick, Michael Porter Jr., Zeke Nnaji, Peyton Watson, Hunter Tyson, DaRon Holmes</p><p>One team with possible interest in Davis are the Denver Nuggets. They likely don’t have enough talent and draft capital to offer the Mavericks for his services. But they do have some intriguing pieces. Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Aaron Gordon aren’t going anywhere, considering the success that core has had in this postseason, even after <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/denver-nuggets/nuggets-news-michael-malone-fired">Michael Malone’s firing.</a></p><p>Michael Porter Jr. has struggle recently, though, so he is the big trade piece that could be available this offseason. Porter’s struggles are largely due to a shoulder injury. When healthy, he is one of the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/ranking-20-best-shooters-in-nba-history-stephen-curry-ray-allen-klay-thompson">best 3-point shooters in the NBA</a>. The Mavericks would also land a great defender in Peyton Watson and a 2024 first-round pick in DaRon Holmes in this trade.</p><p>Holmes missed all of his rookie season with an injury. But some have likened his skill set to that of Davis’. The 2031 first-round pick they’d add here is valuable as well because the Nuggets’ core will likely be out of their prime by 2031, meaning this Nuggets pick could be a lottery pick.</p><p>If the Mavs make Davis available, the Nuggets would have interest because he’d fit perfectly next to Jokic. The three-time MVP is incredibly gifted on offense, but he has limitations defensively. Davis is built like a center and is an incredible rim protector. And that would take a lot of burden off of Jokic’s shoulders.</p><p>The Mavericks would shock the world if they traded Davis, but it wouldn’t be as big of a surprise as when they traded Doncic. Now that they’ve <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-rumors-cooper-flagg-vs-trade-decision-already-made">committed to drafting Flagg first overall</a>, a Davis trade can’t be written off completely regardless of how unlikely it is.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
24.7	11.6	3.5	2.2	1.2

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
24.7	11.6	3.5	2.2	1.2

Anthony Davis news

Anthony
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