Gilbert Arenas explains how Anthony Davis has almost ruined his Dallas Mavericks’ lottery hopes.
When the Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Donsic for the Los Angeles Lakers, GM Nico Harrison claimed the move was made to enter Win Know mode.
But injuries to Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving and many role players quickly derailed that plan.
Despite this, Mavs closed out the play-in tournament spot thanks to Davis, who has returned from injury. However, former NBA player Gilbert Arena believes that AD returns can do more harm than good for the organization.
After a rocky season, the Mavericks landed the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. They are expected to choose Cooper Flag, the best player in their class.
That said, Arenas recently told me how Davis’s return to the roster has almost led to Mavs blowing the No. 1 overall pick.
“When trade happens, I will reward them, will they be rewarded?
He added:
The Mavericks ultimately went through a 120-106 defeat at the hands of the Memphis Grizzlies. In hindsight, defeat gave Mavs a great advantage as they are now in a position to draft a generation of stars.
Over the years, AD has built a reputation as an injury-prone superstar. Obviously, the former La Lakers star wanted to prove that the story was wrong by coming back.
But Arenas still believes Davis should have missed the rest of the regular season, as the team risks dropping out of the lottery.
“I was thinking of Dallas, and if they don’t help Anthony Davis get to the playoffs, they’ll get a top three picks, get ace Bailey, get Harper.
“It actually helps you to the roster and boom, you’re going there. So the number one pick,” he concluded.
This will also help Davis avoid another injury and the Grizzlies.