In a move that has sent shockwaves through the NBA, Anthony Davis, the 10-time All-Star and former Los Angeles Lakers champion, has reportedly left the Dallas Mavericks to join the Boston Celtics, escalating the league’s most storied rivalry with the Lakers into an all-out war. The blockbuster signing, confirmed by ESPN’s Shams Charania, marks a dramatic turn in Davis’s career and promises to reshape the NBA landscape for the 2025-26 season.
Davis, who was traded to the Mavericks from the Lakers in February 2025 in a stunning deal for Luka Dončić, spent just months in Dallas, where injuries, including a left adductor strain and a dislocated finger, limited his impact. Despite a promising debut with 26 points, 16 rebounds, and seven assists against the Houston Rockets on February 8, 2025, Davis’s tenure was marred by a minutes restriction and a season-ending knee injury to teammate Kyrie Irving, contributing to the Mavericks’ playoff miss.
Sources indicate that Davis, frustrated by Dallas’s struggles and eager to return to his preferred power forward role, exercised a player option in his contract to enter free agency. The Celtics, fresh off their 2024 NBA Finals victory over Dallas, capitalized on the opportunity, signing Davis to a multi-year deal reportedly worth $120 million. The move pairs the 31-year-old big man with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, creating a formidable “Big Three” under coach Joe Mazzulla.
“This is a game-changer,” said Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens. “Anthony’s defensive versatility and championship pedigree align perfectly with our vision for Banner 19.” Davis, who won an NBA title with the Lakers in 2020, brings elite two-way play, averaging 24 points, 10 rebounds, and two blocks per game over his 13-year career, making him one of only two players in NBA history (alongside Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) to achieve those marks over 500 games.
The signing has reignited the historic Lakers-Celtics rivalry, with social media ablaze over Davis’s defection to Boston. Lakers fans, still reeling from the Dončić trade, expressed outrage, with one X post calling it “a betrayal worse than KD to Golden State.” Meanwhile, Celtics fans celebrated, with one user tweeting, “AD in green? The Lakers are DONE. Tatum, Brown, and Davis are about to dominate!”
The move also carries personal weight. Davis’s five-year partnership with LeBron James in Los Angeles, which included a 2020 championship, ended abruptly with the Dončić trade. A recent embrace between the two during a Lakers-Mavericks matchup on February 25 hinted at their strong bond, but Davis’s decision to join Boston, the Lakers’ archenemy, has sparked speculation of tension. In a March 2025 interview with Mavericks TV, Davis revealed James once offered to give him the No. 23 jersey in LA, a gesture thwarted by logistical issues with Nike. Now, Davis will don the Celtics’ No. 3, a stark symbol of his new chapter.
Mavericks GM Nico Harrison, who orchestrated the Dončić-Davis trade to bolster defense, faced renewed criticism for losing Davis after just one season. “We took a risk to build a contender, but injuries derailed us,” Harrison told ESPN. “We wish Anthony the best.” Dallas, now banking on No. 1 draft pick Cooper Flagg alongside Irving and Klay Thompson, faces an uphill battle in the Western Conference.
The Celtics, meanwhile, are poised to dominate. Davis’s addition addresses their need for a dominant big man, complementing Tatum’s scoring and Brown’s versatility. His familiarity with Boston, having faced them in the 2024 Finals as a Maverick and excelling against them as a Laker (notably a 40-point, 21-rebound game in 2014), adds intrigue to his debut. However, an abdominal strain that lingered from his Lakers days raises questions about his durability.
The NBA world now awaits the first Lakers-Celtics clash of the 2025-26 season, set for November 15 at TD Garden. “This is personal now,” said Lakers GM Rob Pelinka, hinting at roster moves to counter Boston’s coup. With Dončić thriving in LA and Davis donning Celtics green, the rivalry has reached a fever pitch not seen since the Magic Johnson-Larry Bird era.
