Anthony Davis injury news
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Anthony Davis of the Dallas Mavericks holds his left hand after an injury. The Davis injury news throws the Mavericks trade deadline plans into chaos.
The Dallas Mavericks’ plans surrounding Anthony Davis were thrown into further uncertainty Friday, dealing a significant blow to any possibility of moving the veteran big man ahead of the Feb. 5 NBA trade deadline.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania and Tim MacMahon, Davis has suffered ligament damage in his left hand, an injury that could sideline him for months and effectively remove him from the trade market.
“Depending on second opinion and if surgery is required, Davis could miss a number of months,” Charania reported. “There is a real chance Davis — one of the NBA’s prime trade targets — will be sidelined through the Feb. 5 deadline. And possibly beyond, depending on the need for surgery.”
That development dramatically reshapes Dallas’ roster calculus at a pivotal moment in the season.
Injury Clouds Davis’ Trade Value
Davis, a 10-time NBA All-Star, was expected to be one of the league’s most prominent trade names as contenders explored ways to bolster their frontcourt for a playoff push. Instead, the Davis injury news has placed his availability — and therefore his value — in limbo.
The situation is especially sensitive in Dallas because Davis was the centerpiece of the controversial trade that sent Luka Dončić out of town, a move that drew intense backlash from the fan base and ultimately led to the firing of former general manager Nico Harrison.
Since arriving in Dallas, Davis has struggled to remain consistently available, bouncing in and out of the lineup due to various ailments. The latest injury only reinforces concerns among rival executives about durability, contract risk and timeline alignment.
Warriors’ Interest Cools Amid Contract and Health Concerns
The Golden State Warriors were among the teams linked to Davis in recent weeks as they explored options to add a rim-running, paint-protecting center.
NBA insider Chris Haynes earlier reported that Golden State internally discussed the idea but found little traction with Dallas.
“I was told they’re contemplating making a case to acquire Anthony Davis,” Haynes said on NBA on Amazon Prime. “And with that being said, I was told that Dallas was not that fascinated with what Golden State has on its books.”
Dallas-based NBA insider Marc Stein added further context, explaining why a deal with Golden State was unlikely even before the injury.
“The Warriors have held a longstanding fondness for Davis and I’m told that they have indeed had some internal discussions about pursuing him,” Stein wrote, “but they do not appear to be actively doing so six-ish weeks out from the deadline.”
Stein cited both cost and risk.
“Golden State, for starters, has no realistic pathway to acquire Davis unless it is also willing to part with Jimmy Butler or franchise fixture Draymond Green,” he added. “I’m likewise told that Davis’ contract — with potentially two years still left on it if the 32-year-old exercises his $62.7 million player option in 2027-28 — and the injury woes he has endured since becoming a Maverick have thrust a measure of pause into Golden State’s deliberations.”
The Davis injury news effectively shut down the trade idea.
Hawks Never Offered Clean Path to a Deal
The Atlanta Hawks were another team loosely connected to Davis, but Stein also reported that “no meaningful traction” ever materialized.
Even before Trae Young was traded, Atlanta was unwilling to part with the 2026 New Orleans Pelicans first-round pick it acquired in the Derik Queen deal — a pick Dallas has long coveted.
“I can tell you with certainty that the Mavericks have been trying to pry away that New Orleans Pelicans pick from the Hawks for some time now,” Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix said on the Open Floor podcast. “That has been on the mind of the Mavericks’ front office for some time now.”
Atlanta’s reluctance to include that asset effectively stalled any serious dialogue.
Mavericks Still Open to Listening — But Not Desperate
Despite the injury, Dallas is not expected to rush into a deal.
The Athletic’s Sam Amick and Christian Clark reported earlier this week that the Mavericks will continue listening to offers but are not operating under pressure to move Davis before the deadline.
“The Mavericks will continue to listen to offers on Davis in the coming weeks,” Amick and Clark wrote, “but according to team sources, their front office doesn’t feel like it must deal Davis before the deadline. The team is interested in seeing Davis and Flagg play alongside Kyrie Irving and hasn’t closed the door on the idea of Davis remaining in Dallas long-term.”
That posture now looks more likely by default than by design.
Dallas’ Focus Shifts From Trade to Recovery
With Davis’ health uncertain and the deadline approaching, Dallas’ priority is likely shifting away from asset maximization and toward recovery and roster stability.
What once looked like a potential opportunity to reshape the roster has become a waiting game defined by medical timelines, contract realities and patience.
For the Mavericks, the question is no longer what Davis could bring back in a trade.
It is whether — and when — he can be relied upon to contribute on the floor again.
And until that answer becomes clear, the Mavericks’ biggest move may be no move at all.