As next month\u2019s trade deadline draws closer, there\u2019s a legitimate question of whether Davis and Irving will ever share the court again.<\/p>\n
The Mavericks are expected to listen to offers on Davis, their productive but often-injured superstar. In Dallas\u2019 Dec. 25 loss to the Golden State Warriors, Davis suffered a groin strain<\/a> that sidelined him for the team\u2019s 0-3 West Coast road trip. Davis returned to the lineup Thursday, and after getting a game to knock off some rust, he looked dominant in the Mavericks\u2019 110-104 win over the Rockets on Saturday, notching 26 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks.<\/p>\n \u201cIt felt good that we won,\u201d Davis said. \u201cIndividual stats don\u2019t matter to me as long as we win. We were able to get our first win in the new year. (We\u2019ve) been struggling. Came out with good intensity, good energy. Got down but made a run, (and) guys made shots and got stops. We were able to bounce back.\u201d<\/p>\n The Mavericks, who snapped a four-game losing streak, are in 11th place in the Western Conference as of Sunday morning, three games behind the Portland Trail Blazers and the Memphis Grizzlies for a Play-In Tournament spot. At this point, qualifying for the Play-In will be an uphill battle. Irving\u2019s presence certainly would help, but it\u2019s unclear where the 33-year-old is in the recovery process.<\/p>\n When asked Thursday if there was any update on Irving\u2019s status, Mavericks coach Jason Kidd simply said, \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cObviously we want him back,\u201d Davis said. \u201cHe\u2019s coming off a serious injury. Whenever you guys get a chance to talk to him, you can ask him that question. I don\u2019t try to hassle guys about coming back. I ask him how he feels. But to rush him back, especially off an injury like that, you have to be smart.\u201d<\/p>\n Whenever Irving is able to return \u2014 whether that\u2019s weeks or months from now \u2014 it\u2019s stating the obvious that he can boost the Mavericks\u2019 28th-ranked offense<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cObviously, he is a hell of a player, a Hall of Famer,\u201d Davis said. \u201cHe changes the dynamic for our team. When he gets back, we are going to be an even better team.\u201d<\/p>\n \n Anthony Davis (3) and Kyrie Irving (11) have been on-court teammates for all of 25 minutes since Davis arrived in Dallas early last year. (Jerome Miron \/ Imagn Images)<\/p>\n The left calf strain Davis suffered in October contributed to the Mavericks\u2019 5-15 start. With Davis back in the lineup on Nov. 28, there were glimmers that Dallas might be able to turn its season around, as the Mavericks won five of six games from Nov. 29 to Dec. 12. But since then, they have gone 3-7.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/USATSI_25379063-scaled.jpg\")
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