Tag: anthony davis

Injury updates on Anthony Davis and two other Mavericks players

The Dallas Mavericks yesterday (Thursday) issued the following injury updates:

Mavericks forward/center Anthony Davis, who suffered a left adductor strain on Feb. 8 against Houston and missed the team’s final three games before the All-Star break, is making good progress. Davis will be re-evaluated in two weeks.

Mavericks forward P.J. Washington Jr., who suffered a right ankle sprain on Feb. 8 against Houston and missed the team’s final three games leading up to the All-Star break, returned to practice this afternoon. His return to game action will be based on his continued progress, as such he will be listed as questionable for Friday’s game against New Orleans.

Mavericks center Dwight Powell, who suffered a right hip strain against Oklahoma City on Jan. 17, participated in non-contact activities during practice today and a controlled contact session after. He will be listed as doubtful for Friday’s game against New Orleans.

Three-team trade sends Luka Doncic to Lakers, Anthony Davis to Mavs

The Dallas Mavericks announced today that they acquired 10-time All-Star Anthony Davis, guard Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick from the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for guard Luka Dončić, forward/center Maxi Kleber and forward/center Markieff Morris. As part of the three-team deal, the Utah Jazz acquires guard Jalen Hood-Schifino and a 2025 second-round pick from Los Angeles and a 2025 second-round pick from Dallas.

“We are overwhelmingly thankful for AD’s six seasons with the Lakers, where he led our franchise to a championship and cemented himself as a perennial NBA All-Star,” said Lakers General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka. “We are proud of Max Christie’s development as a Laker as he has grown into an impact 3-and-D player and we are appreciative of the work Jalen Hood-Schifino has put in to show professionalism at every level. Sports are about transformative moments. We are inspired by these moments Lakers fans know, expect and love with a franchise that continually ushers in new eras of greatness.”

“Luka is a one-of-a-kind, young global superstar who will lead this franchise for years to come,” continued Pelinka. “His killer instincts and commitment to winning championships will be a driving force for the team. We will be relentless in building a roster around the on-court vision Coach Redick has for this basketball team and there is an unwavering commitment to that work to serve our loyal and dedicated fans. We are grateful for today and look forward to what’s next.”

Dončić is one of three players in league history to garner five All-NBA First Team selections before age 26, joining Kevin Durant and Tim Duncan. The 25-year-old has tallied 12,089 points, 3,655 rebounds and 3,489 assists and is one of two players in NBA history to record at least 10,000 points, 3,000 rebounds and 3,000 assists through their first 400 career games (Oscar Robertson). Dončić became the first Maverick to claim an NBA scoring title after averaging 33.9 points during the 2023-24 campaign. That season on Jan. 26, Dončić scored a franchise-record 73 points versus the Atlanta Hawks, which tied for the fourth-most in NBA history. He currently stands second all-time in triple-doubles by players aged 25 or younger with 80, trailing only Oscar Robertson (117).

This season, Dončić has appeared in 22 games (all starts), averaging 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, 7.8 assists and 2.0 steals in 35.7 minutes. In 422 career NBA regular season games (all starts) across seven campaigns with Dallas (2018-25), Dončić has averaged 28.6 points, 8.7 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 1.2 steals in 34.9 minutes. Dončić’s career points per game average in the regular season is the third highest in NBA history. In 50 career playoff games (all starts), he’s averaged 30.9 points, 9.4 rebounds, 8.0 assists and 1.7 steals in 38.9 minutes with an NBA Finals appearance in 2024. The five-time NBA All-Star ranks second all-time in playoff scoring average and tied-sixth in postseason triple-doubles (10). The Slovenian was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks with the third overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft prior to being traded to Dallas to begin his NBA career. Dončić went on to win the 2019 NBA Rookie of the Year award after averaging 21.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.1 steals in 32.2 minutes.

“We are thankful for Luka and grateful for his efforts during his time with us,” stated General Manager Nico Harrison. “He helped build this team and was an integral part of the success we’ve seen throughout the years, including our recent NBA Finals run, along with Maxi and Markieff who are veteran voices equally valued across this team. This is a new chapter, and we are excited to welcome Anthony and Max to the fold. AD is an experienced veteran, who can play both ends of the floor while helping elevate us defensively. He knows first-hand what it takes to win, and I know he’s motivated to be a part of what we’re building in Dallas.”

Davis (6-10, 268) holds career averages of 24.2 points (.523 FG%, .795 FT%), 10.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.3 steals, 2.3 blocks and 34.5 minutes per game in 778 career games (771 starts) with the New Orleans Pelicans and Lakers. In 42 games (all starts) for Los Angeles this season, he has averaged 25.7 points (.528 FG%, .788 FT%), 11.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.3 steals and 2.1 blocks in 34.3 minutes.

The 13-year veteran is a 10-time All-Star, a four-time All-NBA First Team selection (2015, 2017, 2018, 2020), a 2024 All-NBA Second Team honoree, a three-time NBA All-Defensive Team First Team selection (2018, 2020, 2024) and a two-time NBA All-Defensive Second Team honoree (2015, 2017). Davis was a member of the Lakers’ 2020 NBA championship team that featured Mavericks Head Coach Jason Kidd as an assistant coach. The 2017 NBA All-Star Game MVP and member of the NBA 75th Anniversary Team has also won two gold medals as a member of the U.S. Olympic Team (2012, 2024).

Mavericks trading Luka Doncic to Lakers for Anthony Davis

Per the LA Times:

The Lakers pulled off a stunning trade Saturday night, sending center Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks in a three-team deal for star guard Luka Doncic to set up the organization for its post-LeBron James era with one of the NBA’s best young players.

The deal happened after the Lakers beat the New York Knicks 128-112 in Madison Square Garden, according to people with knowledge of the situation not authorized to speak publicly. The Lakers sent Davis, young guard Max Christie and their 2029 first-round draft pick to Dallas for Doncic and forwards Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris. The Lakers also sent second-year guard Jalen Hood-Schifino to the Utah Jazz, who got second-round picks from the Lakers (their 2025 pick from the Clippers) and Mavericks to facilitate the trade.

Per the Dallas Morning News:

Doncic is in his seventh NBA season and averages 28.6 points for his career, third-highest in NBA history to this point.

This season, however, Doncic has only played in 22 games and has missed the last 18 with a left calf strain, drawing even closer scrutiny with his career-long struggles with maintaining optimal conditioning.

Until this trade, Doncic was eligible to receive a five-year, $345 million supermax extension from the Mavericks this offseason, and in recent weeks there had been rumblings about whether Dallas and its face of the franchise were headed to a crossroad of uncertainty

Anthony Davis dealing with eye contusion

Via the OC Register:

Anthony Davis, who had an early exit from the Lakers’ 128-121 Saturday loss to the Golden State Warriors at Crypto.com Arena because of an eye contusion, is questionable for Monday’s home game vs. the Atlanta Hawks because of a left corneal abrasion, per the team.

Davis went back to the Lakers’ locker room in between the first and second quarters after getting hit in the eye by Trayce Jackson-Davis on a layup with 2:47 left in the first.

The All-Star big man didn’t get back on defense on the ensuing Warriors’ possession.

Davis stayed in the game until the final three seconds of the quarter, subbing out alongside Jaxson Hayes as part of an offensive-defensive substitution at the end of the quarter before heading back to the locker room in between quarters.

The Lakers are 36-32 this season, which is the 10th best record in the Western conference.

Lakers beat Pacers in 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament championship game

OC Register: Lakers coach Darvin Ham said ahead of Saturday’s In-Season Tournament championship game between his team and the Indiana Pacers that he didn’t want to reveal too much of their strategy. But the way the Lakers attacked the Pacers’ defense said everything that needed to be known about their gameplan: constantly attack the paint against an Indiana team that allows points in the paint at a league-worst rate (62.5 points per game).

OC Register: And the strategy worked, with the Lakers beating the Pacers 123-109 at T-Mobile Arena to win the inaugural Tournament and NBA Cup – and roughly $7.75 million spread throughout the Lakers roster and additional monetary compensation for the coaching staff. The Lakers attacked the heart of the Pacers’ defense repeatedly, scoring 86 points in the paint – more than they have in any other game this season – to make up for their lack of perimeter shooting (2 of 13 on 3-pointers).

ESPN.com: The Los Angeles Lakers are tied with the Boston Celtics for the most championships in NBA history. But after Saturday night, they are the only team in NBA history to have won the NBA Cup. Behind a masterful performance from Anthony Davis, who had 41 points, 20 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 blocks, the Lakers won the inaugural in-season tournament with a 123-109 victory over the Indiana Pacers at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday night. LeBron James, who added 24 points, 11 rebounds and 4 assists, was named tournament MVP.

ESPN.com: The NBA Cup may be new, but the lesson it taught was as old as the league itself. To win anything of value, and the in-season tournament seems to have quickly established itself as such an event, you’re going to need superstars. In a way, that future Hall of Famers and champions LeBron James and Anthony Davis’ brilliant play proved to be the deciding factor in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 123-109 victory over the Indiana Pacers to claim the first-ever edition of the event verified its consequence. Playing on a neutral floor in December in a single game, it was hard to truly compare Saturday night it to any sort of playoff setting. But one thing was for certain, it was treated like an elimination game. There were aggressive game plans, heavy minutes and intensity. Situations where James has thrived for a long time.

Injury update on Lakers center Anthony Davis

Via the Los Angeles Times:

Lakers star big man Anthony Davis said pain in his right foot has been significantly reduced and imaging has shown that he’s progressing in his healing.
Though Davis hesitated to put a timetable on his return, he said things are moving in the right direction.

“It’s healing pretty quickly,” Davis said. “So when we get back to L.A., we’ll do another image of the foot, and see how far it’s healed since the last time I did it, which was the 22nd or the 23rd. And it’s really just about pain. The pain is still there, I still feel it a little bit, not as much as I did before. More like a two [out of 10], trending down to one. I’ve been lifting, and lifting is fine. Everything I do in the weight room is fine.

“If I see that it’s healed properly, or enough where I can go start ramping up on the court, then we’ll start that process.”

The Lakers are 15-21 this season, which is the 13th best record in the Western conference.

Davis is averaging 27.4 points, 12.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists in minutes per game.

Anthony Davis exits early in Lakers win over Nuggets

Via the OC Register:

The start of the second half featured a concerning moment for Lakers fans everywhere: Anthony Davis didn’t come back out on the court.

Teammates, coaches and team officials have tied the success of the franchise to Davis’ high performance and good health – which has been seen too infrequently over the past two years. Davis sitting out the second half Friday night against the Denver Nuggets with a right foot injury struck as an ill omen.

Except something funny happened: It didn’t slow down the Lakers.

LeBron James and Russell Westbrook, the two stars who have often seemed like a clunky on-court fit, powered a surprising 126-108 victory against the Nuggets, the third-place team in the Western Conference. After two disappointing overtime losses in their previous three games against high-level opponents, the Lakers (12-16) came out hungry and hustling, in spite of a size advantage that never really became an issue.

FULL ARTICLE

Lakers bring Russell Westbrook off bench in loss to Timberwolves

The 0-5 Lakers are still trying to find out the best way to utilize Russell Westbrook’s skill-set. Via ESPN.com:

Russell Westbrook came off the bench in a regular-season game for the first time since his rookie year in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 111-102 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves and impressed his team by taking to the role.

“He was great,” said LeBron James, who said Westbrook’s energy “catapulted” L.A.’s overall effort. “He was great all game.”

Westbrook played 33 minutes, more than he had in any of the three games he started this season, and finished with 18 points, eight rebounds and three assists. However, he shot 6-for-17 overall and 5-for-10 from the free throw line and was responsible for five of the Lakers’ 22 team turnovers.

Anthony Davis didn’t play, so LeBron started alongside a very limited supporting cast.

FULL ARTICLE

Lakers fire head coach Frank Vogel

The Los Angeles Lakers have fired head coach Frank Vogel.

Vogel was the 27th head coach in franchise history. During his tenure, Vogel compiled a 127-98 (.564) record and led the Lakers to their 17th NBA championship during the 2019-20 season.

Per the Los Angeles Times, “the Lakers fired coach Frank Vogel on Monday just two years after he led the team to its 17th NBA championship and first since 2010. In the seasons since, Vogel’s teams have been decimated by injuries to LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the Lakers losing in the first round of the 2021 playoffs before missing the postseason in 2022. It culminated with a 49-loss season during which the Lakers were never more than three games over .500 and in which Vogel used 40 starting lineups.”

Per the Orange County Register, “LeBron James spoke to reporters Monday morning as Vogel’s status remained unconfirmed. He said he had not been told that Vogel had been fired: “I’ve seen the reports just like everybody else.”

“I have a tremendous amount of respect for Frank both on and off the court,” said Rob Pelinka, the Lakers Vice President of Basketball Operations and General Manager. “Frank is a great coach and a good man. We will forever be grateful to him for his work in guiding us to the 2019-20 NBA championship. This is an incredibly difficult decision to make, but one we feel is necessary at this point. All of us here wish Frank and his wonderful family all the best for the future.”

Lakers’ Anthony Davis out with foot sprain

Once again, Anthony Davis is injured. Via ESPN.com:

Anthony Davis will be out at least four weeks after an MRI showed that the Los Angeles Lakers star has a mid-foot sprain, the team announced Thursday.

Davis suffered the injury in the team’s 106-101 win against the Utah Jazz on Wednesday.

He underwent X-rays that night at Crypto.com Arena that revealed no fracture, according to the team, but an MRI Thursday revealed the sprain.

The Lakers said team doctors will reevaluate the star big man in four weeks.

The Lakers are just 27-31 this season, which is the 9th best record in the Western conference. They haven’t looked like a championship contender at all this season, and with the way things are going will have to hustle and step things up just to make the playoffs. A task made even more difficult with this Davis injury.