The Mavericks have not gotten much out of Anthony Davis, whose injury history continues to define his career.
The Dallas Mavericks have retooled their franchise around a new star in Cooper Flagg and will build their identity around him after trading away star Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers. In that trade that sent shockwaves around the NBA, the Mavericks received Anthony Davis among their haul in return. Since arriving to Dallas in Feb. of 2025, Davis has played in 29 games due to injuries – but has been their best player on the court. Unfortunately, his latest injury could potentially sideline him for months should it require surgery, according to ESPN.
Davis has ligament damage in his left hand due to an injury suffered in the team’s loss on Thursday night to the Utah Jazz. He is currently seeking second options on surgery, as a nonsurgical rehab approach could instead be a potential six-week return trajectory. He is averaging 20.4 points and 11.1 rebounds in 20 games this season. With one of the deeper drafts in recent memory, is this the final straw for Dallas in the 2025 season, and should they be turning their sights to 2026?
Here is the gull story from Mavericks Roundtable writer Jonah Kubicek making the potential argument for tanking as a result of Davis’ injury.
The Mavs’ court is really depleted of star talent around Flagg now, with Davis out for months and Kyrie Irving still not slated to return for at least one more month. The team will be picking in the middle of the lottery, as Dallas doesn’t control its first rounder from 2026 to 2031. But will they run out of time to add around Flagg if they miss out on a higher pick this class?