Anthony Davis is expected to miss "a number of months" with a hand injury, giving the Dallas Mavericks only one option to move forward.
On Friday, it was reported that the Dallas Mavericks will be without Anthony Davis for a "number of months" as he deals with ligament damage in his left hand.
While the Mavericks are firmly Cooper Flagg's team moving forward, Davis remains the best player on the roster on both ends of the floor. This season, he has averaged 20.4 points and 11.1 rebounds in 20 appearances.
The Mavericks were a mediocre 10-10 this season with him in the lineup, and have gone a putrid 4-14 without him. He has been included in trade rumors, although the Mavericks have some interest in keeping him. With Davis set to miss most of the season, his trade value has taken a nosedive.
With the injury news, the Mavericks only have one option.
Dallas Mavericks Must Tank For the 2026 NBA Draft
Davis will be out for several months. Kyrie Irving won't return for at least another month. The Mavericks don't control their own first-round pick at all between 2026 and 2031. This next draft will be their last chance to add high-quality talent that fits Flagg's timeline.
Most projections have the Mavericks picking in the middle of the lottery. Of course, with Davios' injury news, the Mavericks' odds will skyrocket, assuming they maintain the same trajectory without him as they have all season.
The 2026 Draft is one of the deepest in recent memory, although the top three players (Cameron Boozer, AJ Dybantsa, and Darryn Peterson) are head-and-shoulders above the rest. Peterson has been compared to Kobe Bryant. Is there anyone better for the Mavericks to add next to Flagg?
Of course, no matter where the Mavericks pick, there should be talent available, although the closer they can get to the top, the better their odds are of landing a surefire superstar. If they land in the top three, there is a chance that the incoming rookie could actually usurp Flagg as the centerpiece of the team, as hard as that is to believe.
Davis' trade value is minimal. He should return before the season ends, but the Mavericks should be all-in on the 2026-27 season. The Maveriocks have the ninth-worst record in the NBA right now, but with the Washington Wizards adding Trae Young, the Charlotte Hornets starting to (possibly) trend up, and the Utah Jazz and Brooklyn Nets only slightly ahead of Dallas in the race to the bottom, the biggest sporting event in DFW this year could be the NBA Draft.