Is it possible that the dark skies above American Airlines Center are getting a tiny bit brighter? Dallas Mavericks star Anthony Davis, who suffered an abductor strain in his first game after being traded from the Los Angeles Lakers, is “improving” and has been cleared for “more dynamic on-court movements,” the team announced, per ClutchPoints reporter Joey Mistretta.
One cannot be too quick to revel in positive news when it comes to the 2025 Mavs, but this is quite encouraging to hear after ESPN's Shams Charania threw out the possibility of Davis being shut down for the rest of the season. In addition to this big update, second-year center Dereck Lively II is “progressing” in his recovery from an ankle fracture and, like Davis, will be evaluated weekly, via Mistretta.
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Daniel Gafford, the third member of Dallas' big-man triumvirate, is “showing progress” and is set to be re-evaluated in two weeks. These three players have yet to share the court together, a cruel development that has undoubtedly compounded the vitriol that general manager Nico Harrison and the organization are receiving in the aftermath of the Luka Doncic trade.
Though, perhaps the Mavericks can hang on long enough until they return to action. If Davis does indeed commit himself to the remainder of the 2024-25 campaign, and Lively and Gafford follow suit,
a]:text-link [&_>a]:underline">Alex House is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NBA, and MLB for ClutchPoints, providing a unique writing voice due to his in-depth knowledge of New York sports. Alex resides in Connecticut after receiving his journalism degree from the University of Rhode Island.