It’s official: Anthony Davis is suiting up on his former home floor for the very first time. After dropping hints throughout the previous day, AD has now been fully cleared to return. And there was never a world in which he’d skip his long-anticipated reunion at Crypto.com Arena.

Fresh off a month-long recovery from a calf injury, most assumed Davis would ease his way back with light minutes and controlled bursts. But the early signals suggest otherwise. Fans may be getting more AD than anyone expected, and hopefully the Lakers had enough time to throw together a proper welcome-back moment.

Davis will still be on a minutes restriction, but it’s a generous one by typical return-from-injury standards. Jason Kidd told reporters before tip-off that AD is expected to log 24 to 27 minutes, a workload that hints at real impact rather than a symbolic cameo.

If The Brow is back at full strength that might be enough. Or he might be so good, fans are going to rage when he’s pulled out of the game, just like Philly fans are mad at Nick Nurse for enforcing Paul George’s minutes restriction when he was on fire.

This will be his first game back in Crypto.com Arena since that February 2 trade. It’s the final group stage game in the inseason tournament for both teams, but it won’t be featuring a shiny NBA Cup court. Because Luka Doncic informally complained about it being slippery and the NBA took note. It doesn’t really matter to the Mavs.

The day the Lakers beat the Clippers, they clinched their spot in the Knockout Rounds. That automatically eliminated the Mavericks from contention. Tonight’s outcome won’t change that. But it was still not a game Anthony Davis was going to miss.

Anthony Davis got his Thanksgiving wish

The last time the Lakers with Luka Doncic hosted the Mavericks after February 2, Anthony Davis was not in the lineup. He was sidelined due to a left adductor strain last season. He started the 2025-26 season but only played for five out of the 19 games. On Thanksgiving, AD practiced with the team for the first time in a month and first time since Nico Harrison got fired.

He showed no animosity towards the fired GM but was eager to play against the Lakers. When asked which of the back-to-back road games against the Lakers and Clippers he wants to return in, Davis said, “Is that a real question? You know what game I want to play. We’ll see, have a conversation, and see what makes the most sense…” It was still not decided if he was in shape to return, so he added a disclaimer. “Obviously, I would like to. But the main thing is just to get on the floor, whether that’s on Friday or Saturday.”

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He got what he wanted. Jason Kidd confirmed that AD is returning against the Lakers, and the team will keep a close eye on his minutes. It’s bound to be as emotional as the day Luka Doncic played his first game in American Airlines Center in Purple & Gold.

During his time in LA, AD formed a great partnership with LeBron James that led them to the 2020 championship. Despite his teammates’ dependence on Davis, the franchise effectively told him they’re not all-in on him by trading Davis as soon as he requested more help. This gives him the first opportunity for a little retribution.

The low stakes might actually work in their favor. The Mavericks can experiment with how to distribute AD’s limited minutes across all four quarters.

It’s not as if they’re advancing any faster, and with the Lakers sitting comfortably as the second seed at 13-4 in the West, this game is more about reunion and revenge than playoff positioning.