Anthony Davis will miss more time, possibly even “a number of months,” according to ESPN’s Shams Charania and Tim MacMahon, who reported Friday that the Dallas Mavericks standout center sustained ligament damage in his left hand during a Thursday night loss to the Utah Jazz.
The length of Davis’ recovery will depend on the second opinion he receives. There’s a real chance the 10-time All-Star will be sidelined through the NBA’s Feb. 5 trade deadline and potentially beyond that day if surgery is required, per Charania.
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Even if the 32-year-old Davis doesn’t have a procedure done, he’s expected to miss at least six weeks, according to ESPN’s report. The Mavs later confirmed there was ligament damage in Davis’ hand and said they were evaluating their medical options.
Davis has been considered a top trade target for a while now, although his latest setback could affect his value. Last season, he was part of one of the league’s most shocking deals ever when the Los Angeles Lakers shipped him to Dallas as part of a three-team trade that delivered five-time All-NBA first-team guard Luka Dončić to L.A.
While Dončić has become the face of the franchise Davis won a championship with during the 2020 season, Davis has had a turbulent experience with the Mavericks.
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The big man has appeared in just 29 regular-season games, as well as two play-in games, since infamous Dallas general manager Nico Harrison acquired him last February.
Following the trade, the former No. 1 overall pick was healing up from an abdominal injury. He hurried back and instantly starred with a dominant first half on Feb. 8 against the Houston Rockets, but an adductor strain related to the injury he was recovering from spoiled his night.
He missed the next six weeks of action.
Then, during an April 2 game versus the Atlanta Hawks, Mavericks teammate Daniel Gafford accidentally elbowed Davis in his right eye. The injury ultimately required offseason surgery to repair a detached retina, and now Davis wears protective eyewear on the floor.
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Five games into this season, on Oct. 29 versus the Indiana Pacers, Davis suffered a left calf strain that kept him out 14 games after Mavericks owner Patrick Dumont reportedly delayed green-lighting the Kentucky product’s return until the team had medical data indicating Davis wasn’t at risk of aggravating the injury. Along the way, Harrison was fired.
Davis came back in late November, only to then exit the Mavs’ Christmas Day game against the Golden State Warriors with right groin spasms.
Davis was back in the lineup on New Year’s Day, however, but he picked up his hand injury a week later while defending Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen on a baseline drive Thursday.
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Injuries have been a thorn in Davis’ side throughout his career, which started with New Orleans in 2012, continued in Los Angeles and has practically gone dormant in Dallas.
Davis is due $58.5 million next season, per ESPN, which reported that he has a player option for $62.8 million in 2027-28.
