The Dallas Mavericks, once again, are set to be without Anthony Davis.
An MRI taken Friday, Jan. 9 revealed that Davis, 32, suffered ligament damage in his left hand, the team said in a press release. The Mavericks added that Davis is seeking multiple opinions.
Davis suffered the injury Thursday, Jan. 8 in a game against the Utah Jazz. It came late in the fourth quarter of the game, an eventual 116-114 Utah victory, when Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen drove to the basket along the right baseline. Davis went to defend Markkanen and when the two made contact, Davis immediately favored his left hand.
He briefly remained in the game but was then later substituted.
At the time he left the game, Davis had scored 21 points on 10-of-20 shooting, adding 11 rebounds and 4 assists.
For Davis and the Mavericks, it’s another frustrating setback that has kept him from assimilating with the team; earlier this season, Davis dealt with a lower foot and Achilles injury that also sidelined him for a few weeks. Dallas traded for Davis in February 2025 as part of the deal that shipped Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Since acquiring him, Davis has played only 29 out of 80 games.
The Mavericks have struggled amid injuries to Davis and veteran point guard Kyrie Irving, who suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in March 2025. That has left No. 1 overall rookie Cooper Flagg to carry the Mavericks. Flagg only recently turned 19 years old and has a diverse skill set, but his effectiveness has been limited at times when opposing teams have focused their energy on limiting him as Davis and Irving have been sidelined.
Complicating this further, Davis had been expected to be a potential trade target, as the Mavericks are undergoing something of a rebuild. The team fired former general manager Nico Harrison Nov. 11, 2025, and Davis’ age and salary may not align with Dallas’ long-term plans to compete.
The NBA trade deadline is Feb. 5; given the projected timeline of Davis’ injury, that likely means he will remain sidelined beyond the deadline.
In 20 games this season, Davis is averaging 20.4 points, 11.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game.
