Anthony Davis, like Luka Doncic, was blindsided by the Los Angeles Lakers’ early-February trade decision.
Unbeknownst to the NBA champion center, the Lakers were fully prepared to ship him to the Dallas Mavericks for Doncic, and ultimately did so days before the trade deadline.
Now that Davis, who’s missed the Mavericks’ last 14 games due to a calf strain, is nearing a return to the hardwood and could compete against Doncic and the Lakers on Friday, the 32-year-old big man felt it was in his best interest to send an eight-word message to both parties.
“You know what game I want to play (hinting at his eagerness to play against his former team),” Davis said when asked if he would rather play against the Lakers on Friday or the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday.
“But we’ll see. We’ll have a conversation. See what makes the most sense with the medical staff and coaching staff. No decision has been made. Obviously, (I) would like to. But at the end of the day, it’s getting back on the floor, whether it’s Friday or Saturday. Whatever we discuss.”
While Davis was frequently injured with the Lakers, the Kentucky product did help the franchise win a title in 2020 and stay competitive following their 17th title.
Davis averaged 25.7 points, 11.9 rebounds, 2.1 blocks, and 1.3 steals per game during his final 42 games with the Lakers, shooting 52.8% from the field.
However, with Los Angeles desperately needing a point guard and having zero to no faith in Davis from a health/availability standpoint, the writing was on the wall for Rob Pelinka to shock the world nine months ago.
Expect Davis to push for a Friday night return and put on a show against his former team.
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