Anthony Davis‘ availability continues to be a problem this season. Here is the latest update regarding the Dallas Mavericks big man’s recovery from his latest setback.
What Happened to Anthony Davis?
If it wasn’t for Cooper Flagg’s maiden season in the league, the Mavericks’ 2025-26 campaign would rather be forgotten. Their roster has been decimated by injuries, which has affected their ability to be competitive.
Many had already expected Kyrie Irving to miss the entire season. After all, that’s what happens when someone tears their ACL. The expectations for Davis, though, weren’t quite the same.
Yes, he was already expected to miss several games due to his track record, but no one thought it would be at this magnitude. His latest setback also came from an unexpected source. Typically, he’s out due to injuries to his lower limbs (ankles, calf, feet) or his torso (hips, back). This time, though, it’s his hand that’s injured.
During the fourth quarter of their Jan. 8 game against the Utah Jazz, forward Lauri Markkanen drove hard and intitiated contact with Davis. Either Markkanen’s shoulder or his elbow struck Davis’ left hand on the play, and the latter clearly looked to be in pain.
The initial expectation was that he would miss the rest of the season. However, an update later stated that he would not require surgery and only needed at least six weeks to recover. Of course, he will miss tonight’s game against the Golden State Warriors and will likely make a return after the All-Star break.
While he is still expected to come back this season, there are questions on where he’ll be playing. The rumors around him suggest that he’ll be dealt ahead of the Feb. 5 deadline, but the teams gunning for him aren’t quite clear.
Initially, the Toronto Raptors and the Atlanta Hawks were named as his likeliest destinations. However, those teams might no longer be interested in acquiring Davis as per Jake Fischer. Fischer also stated in that report that agent Rich Paul did not demand for Davis to be traded urgently.
One more time to be as clear as possible: No request was made about “next week.” There are still two weeks left until the deadline.
The Mavericks have discussed various Anthony Davis trade scenarios for weeks. @JakeLFischer reports here on the latest: https://t.co/2AEcpYAa4c https://t.co/bnsC2XYb2v
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) January 22, 2026
With the expectation that Davis might come back before the end of the season, there should be some teams who’d still take an interest.
Despite struggling with remaining healthy, Davis is still able to make a significant impact when he does suit up. This should be enough for some teams that are looking for win-now talent to take a risk in adding an All-Star-caliber big man with Davis’ experience.
