Anthony Davis to return as Mavericks seek to stop 3-game losing streak
Davis missed the last two games with what the Mavs described as right adductor soreness.
The Dallas Mavericks will have leading scorer and rebounder Anthony Davis back in the lineup in their first game of 2026.
Davis will return to the floor against the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday after missing the last two games with what the Mavericks described as right adductor soreness.
He suffered the injury in the team’s Christmas Day game against the Golden State Warriors. He tried running ahead on a fast break but came up limping and exited the floor early in the second quarter.
The Mavericks lost to the Warriors and went 0-3 on their West Coast road trip. They are trending in the wrong direction, heading into the new year having lost six of their last eight games. As of Wednesday afternoon, Dallas sits in 12th place in the Western Conference — on the outside looking in on the play-in tournament race.
Davis is averaging 20.5 points and 10.9 rebounds in 16 games. He has already missed 18 games this season, a stretch in which Dallas has gone 4-14.
“We always want (Davis) to play,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. “We’re happy to have him back. The 30 to 34 minutes he’ll be able to play — we’ll get him some touches. Again, offensive and defensively, we need him to be A.D.”
Davis has been the subject of trade rumors since Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison’s firing in November. Multiple reports have cited the Atlanta Hawks as a serious suitor, which The Athletic can confirm through league sources.
The Mavericks entered this season with championship hopes, but those quickly faded away when Davis got hurt in the team’s fifth game of the season. He missed 14 consecutive games with a left calf strain.
Davis turns 33 years old in March. He is owed $58.5 million next season and is eligible for a contract extension starting in August.
The NBA trade deadline is Feb. 5.
The Mavericks have full control of their first-round pick in 2026. But in 2027 and 2029, they will owe their first-round picks to the Charlotte Hornets and Brooklyn Nets. In 2028 and 2030, rival teams can exercise swap rights on Dallas’ first-rounders.
If the Mavericks choose to be sellers at this year’s trade deadline, it will likely be on the hunt for future firsts.