DALLAS (AP) — Anthony Davis expects to make his debut for the Dallas Mavericks in their first home game since the seismic trade that sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Beyond knowing he should be on the floor for the opening tip against the Houston Rockets on Saturday, Davis has no idea what to expect.
Anger among fans in Dallas hadn't eased much in the six days after the blockbuster that also sent Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick to the Mavs while Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris went to LA.
Most of the ire has been directed at Dallas general manager Nico Harrison, who shipped out a 25-year-old superstar in his prime just eight months after the Mavs reached the NBA Finals for the first time since winning the franchise's only championship in 2011.
“I get who Luka was to this franchise, to this city,” Davis said Friday at his introductory news conference. “I’m never going to downplay that. Just how I know what I meant to the city of LA. So I’m not surprised by the fans’ reaction and the city’s reaction. It’s my job to come in and play basketball and do what I’m supposed to do and give the fans hope and reassurance on why Nico brought me here.
“I don't know how (Saturday's) going to be as far as the reaction,” Davis said. “I can't control that. Obviously it was a tough transition. It was a shock to all. My job is to come in and win basketball games.”
Fans of the Mavericks protested outside the club's arena the day after the trade, and similar demonstrations could be in store for the team's return from a five-game road trip.
All Davis can do is build his own case as one of the NBA's best big men, a 10-time All-Star — with career averages of 24.2 points and 10.7 rebounds — who teamed with LeBron James to lead the Lakers to their 17th championship in the 2020 playoff bubble.
“I’d just tell them you’ve got a guy who’s going to be on the floor every night,” Davis said when asked what he would say to one of those angry fans. “A guy who’s going to compete every night and bring that championship experience to the organization, try to help lead this team to some championships.”
Davis shared the stage with Christie and Caleb Martin, who joined the Mavericks in a trade with Philadelphia. Christie played the final two games on the trip, scoring 15 points each time. The timing of Martin's Dallas debut is uncertain because of a hip injury.
“I’m big on perspective,” said Christie, a 21-year-old in his third season as a second-round pick coming off a one-and-done college career at Michigan State. “Being able to be a part of a trade of this magnitude is definitely kind of flattering to me.”
Harrison's bold move shifts the star pairing from Kyrie Irving and Doncic, perhaps the NBA's best point guard, to the frontcourt-backcourt combo of Irving and Davis.
Irving said in the first game he played after the trade that he was still grieving the loss of his “hermano,” but preparing himself to move on. After an aborted half-season together in 2022-23, Irving and Doncic found the groove that led the Western Conference title before a five-game loss to Boston last season.
Now Irving pivots to a new tandem, hoping the learning curve isn't as steep since now the formula doesn't involve two ball-dominant guards.
The 31-year-old Davis is also eager to spend most of his time at power forward since the Mavs have better personnel at center than the Lakers with Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II. Lively could be out until late in the regular season recovering from a stress fracture in his ankle.
“I just think having a guard like Kai, who’s able to score, who’s able to pass, attack downhill, he can do it all. No flaw in his game,” Davis said. “I don’t think he’s played with a guy like me as well who can play in the pocket, can roll to the rim, be a lob threat and pick and pop, can handle (the ball) when he can come set a screen for me. It’s a different dynamic that I bring to him and he brings to me.”
It's also bringing a different dynamic to the home of the Mavericks, at least for now.
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