As the Dallas Mavericks gear up for a high-stakes 2025-26 season, the conversation has shifted from championship hopes to a far more familiar topic: a star player’s weight. Photos of Anthony Davis at training camp have ignited a firestorm of debate, leaving fans wondering if the franchise is about to repeat the same conditioning drama that recently surrounded Luka Dončić.
For a team that just bet its future on Davis, it’s a storyline they can’t afford.
Why Is Everyone Talking About Anthony Davis’s Weight?
Speaking to the media this week, Anthony Davis directly addressed the online speculation that he arrived at training camp out of shape. However, the 10-time All-Star brushed off the criticism, explaining that his weight fluctuation is a calculated part of his annual offseason routine.
“I feel good,” Davis said, via ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. “I kind of almost do that going into every season, because I put on so much weight over the summer, then by the time November comes, I’m usually like 255, 258. I never want to come in at my playing weight, because then I lose weight during the season and then I’m too small. I lose about 10 to 12 pounds very quickly. During camp, I already lost five pounds, all the running and playing. So, I’m never concerned about that. I feel great. I’m moving great.”
Mavs PF/C Anthony Davis is listed at 268 pounds, 15 more than last season’s listed weight, but he says it’s not unusual for him to report to camp this heavy. Not a concern, per AD.
His full answer: pic.twitter.com/xCAIF2s1GT
— Tim MacMahon (@BannedMacMahon) October 2, 2025
Davis weighed 268 pounds, approximately 15 pounds heavier than his listed weight from last season. While some observers viewed this as a red flag, Davis emphasized that this is a temporary and intentional strategy designed to help him peak at the right time.
As a big man who battles players like Nikola Jokić and Giannis Antetokounmpo in the paint, he believes starting heavier allows him to better withstand the physical grind of an NBA season.
What Does This Mean for the Mavericks’ High Hopes?
For Mavericks fans, the narrative around Davis’s weight gain is particularly frustrating because of the team’s recent history. Earlier this year, Dallas traded away its former franchise cornerstone, Luka Dončić, partly due to concerns over his conditioning. Now, with Davis installed as the new centerpiece, the same questions are surfacing all over again. Social media has been buzzing with ironic side-by-side comparisons of a slimmed-down Dončić in Los Angeles and a bulked-up Davis in Dallas.
Despite the outside noise, Davis remains the Mavericks’ most important player. In the previous season, split between the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas, he proved he can still be a dominant force by averaging 24.7 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game. With new teammates Cooper Flagg and Klay Thompson joining the roster, plus the eventual return of Kyrie Irving, the team appears to have the talent for a serious playoff push.
Ultimately, everything for the Mavericks hinges on Davis’s ability to stay on the court. His durability has always been the primary question mark in his career, and any perception of being out of shape only amplifies those long-standing concerns. Fans understand that if Davis stays healthy, Dallas could be a legitimate contender in the Western Conference. If he doesn’t, the conversation about his weight will quickly become a much larger problem.
For now, Davis is confident in his process, and the Mavericks’ coaches are standing behind him. With the season still weeks away, there is time for his plan to unfold. But after trading away Dončić and betting the franchise’s future on Davis, the margin for error is incredibly slim. Whether the extra pounds prove to be a source of strength or a setback, his performance will determine just how far the Mavericks can go in the 2025-26 season.
