The Dallas Mavericks got just about the worst news possible on Anthony Davis after he suffered a serious hand injury on Thursday.
Davis sustained ligament damage in his left hand, according to Shams Charania and Tim MacMahon of ESPN. He is seeking a second opinion, but there is a chance he could be out several months if surgery is required.
Dallas Mavericks star Anthony Davis has sustained ligament damage in his left hand, sources tell me and @BannedMacMahon. Depending on second opinion and if surgery is required, Davis could miss a number of months. pic.twitter.com/POS4szWjUY
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 9, 2026
This news makes it possible, if not likely, that Davis is out past the Feb. 5 trade deadline. That would deprive the Mavericks of a valuable trade piece, especially since the team has so few long-term draft assets thanks to some ill-advised moves in the past.
After 2026, the Mavericks do not own their own first-round pick again until 2031. One could argue that it would be within their interests to keep losing this year, and losing Davis for an extended period of time would probably help them do that. However, the optimal outcome would have been for the Mavericks to get some value in a trade, as Davis was expected to be a fairly coveted piece.
Even before the Mavericks traded for him, the big knock on Davis was how injury-prone he is. He has been plagued by so many injuries since Dallas acquired him that he is the subject of one of the most incredible and unfortunate streaks in the NBA. That will unfortunately continue with his latest injury, and raises questions about how the Mavericks will approach the rest of the season.
Davis has only appeared in 20 games this season for the Mavericks. He averaged 20.4 points and 11.1 rebounds per game this season before this latest setback.
