Mavericks' long-overdue Anthony Davis move will change everything

It may have taken over 10 months for the Dallas Mavericks to maximize Anthony Davis' on-court potential, but it finally appears that Jason Kidd and Dallas' coaching staff have unlocked the Davis question mark. Since his arrival, the Mavericks have been adamant about making Davis a power forward alongside Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford, but after many trials, the Mavericks learned a valuable lesson that Davis is better suited as the team's lone center.

Through injuries and plenty of outside noise regarding Davis' future with the Mavericks, the team may have finally cracked the code that unlocked Davis' full on-court potential with the Mavs. In his past three starts against his former team in the Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets, and Miami Heat, Davis has been the lone five within the starting lineup and has looked like an absolute stud in two of his last three games played.

Not only has Davis been the center to open games, but the spacing that using one big man rather than two has created offensively for the Mavericks has made for some of the most impressive offensive outings the team has seen this season. Against the Nuggets, Davis's presence in the fourth quarter created one of the team's most impressive wins of the season, and it may have taken a while, but Davis finally looks comfortable in a Mavericks uniform.

Anthony Davis' role shift will help unlock the Mavericks' potential

When the Mavericks traded for Davis during last season's trade deadline, the team instantly became one of the biggest rosters in the entire league with a frontcourt of Davis, Lively II, and Gafford. While injuries would derail what once was a hyped lineup, the Mavericks have only strayed away from the double-big dream that Nico Harrison traded for this year.

Even as the Mavericks turned a new chapter into the 2025-26 season, injuries have had a huge say on what lineups the Mavericks can throw out there, but after Lively II's recent foot injury and Gafford possibly being sidelined for a while with an ankle sprain, Davis will once again be asked to play as the team's only starting-worthy center.

It's been a bumpy ride for all parties, but early into the Mavericks' experiment with Davis at the starting center position, it has paid off. The Mavericks are now on a three-game winning streak, but in the games that Davis has played as the team's five, they have looked great on both ends of the floor.

Spacing was a major concern for many fans and those around the league when it came to Dallas' double-big lineup, but with Davis as the Mavericks' only big man, it has created ideal spacing. The Mavericks are seeing some of their best offensive outputs with Davis healthy, but it also gives the team better opportunities to have more ball handlers on the floor at a time.

With that in mind, it shouldn't even be a debate for Kidd and the other Mavericks coaching staff as to who will be the starting center. Davis has clearly looked like the best prospect for this role this season, and while his future is still uncertain in Dallas, his trade value will only continue to climb as the Mavericks' only starting-caliber five.