Injury-prone Anthony Davis has already become a headache for the Dallas Mavericks, with only 8 or 9 games left to reach the midseason point. The $186 million big man was sidelined again and it is reportedly his 17th missed game this season.
Davis suffered right groin spasms during the second quarter of Dallas’ 126-116 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Christmas Day. He limped to the locker room after playing for just 11 minutes, and reports later confirmed it was the same story but a different injury.
Injury Bug Bites Anthony Davis for the 17th Time This Season
AD was listed as questionable with right adductor soreness before being ruled out. He’s appeared in just 16 games all season. The math is not mathing here for the former Los Angeles Lakers forward because he used to dominate on the hardwood when he was with LeBron James. But now, with Klay Thompson, he is missing more games than he’s played.
Multiple reports on Friday indicated the 10-time All-Star might miss the remainder of the Mavericks’ three-game road trip, which will conclude Monday against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Marc Stein reported, “Davis was listed as questionable with right adductor soreness. He’s played in 16 games this season and this will be his 17th game missed.”
The Mavericks have officially ruled Anthony Davis out for today’s matinee in Sacramento.
Davis was listed as questionable with right adductor soreness. He’s played in 16 games this season and this will be his 17th game missed. https://t.co/IOkMffMNjp
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) December 27, 2025
The Mavericks acquired Davis as the centerpiece in the trade that sent franchise cornerstone Luka Dončić to the Lakers in February 2025. Seeing Luka shine in purple and gold now, Mavs fans are losing their minds, and some urged officials to know the reason behind the gamble trade despite knowing Davis’ injury history.
Davis missed 24 of a possible 33 games with the Mavericks last season due to injury following the midseason trade. This season already mirrors that disaster.
Trade buzz now surrounds Davis, with the Toronto Raptors and Atlanta Hawks exploring potential deals. Some have also mentioned the Golden State Warriors’ name as a possibility. But quite frankly, nobody wants to inherit his injury risk and massive contract.
Moreover, Davis is owed escalating money through at least the 2027-28 season, including a $62.8 million player option. That number terrifies front offices league-wide, given his back-to-back absences.
So, this time, fans are not holding their wrath after officially learning AD will miss another Mavs game.
Fans Unleash Fury Over Davis’s Chronic Unavailability
Majority of the fans think AD is just making excuses not to play, and Warriors fans directly warned him not to come to Golden State.
One fan wrote, “Scammed $186 Million and Enjoying Silly Vacation.”
Another noted, “Certified weak a– b—.”
A third fan added, “which means even if he was playing like an all star the games hes about to miss coming up will take him away from any awards this year.”
A fourth claimed, “What a bum.”
The trade speculation reached Warriors fans, too. They want no Davis despite Golden State’s need for serious frontcourt help.
The fifth shared, “he better not come to golden state.”
The sixth fan added, “he’s not a warrior stop it.”
The sentiment reflects widespread skepticism. Davis’s talent remains elite when healthy. But “when healthy” has become the operative phrase nobody trusts anymore.
The Mavs community hasn’t embraced Davis since the Dončić trade, viewing him as the inferior piece in franchise history’s worst swap. And then his missing games, one after another, only deepen that wound.
For now, Mavs fans just want no more absence from him. Otherwise, they want officials to trade him elsewhere. But which team will include him on the roster is a million-dollar question now, because Warriors fans have already put their “no” on the table.
