Anthony Davis won't need hand surgery, will be re-evaluted in 6 weeks; Mavs renewing trade talks to move him: Report
Anthony Davis won't need surgery to repair ligament damage in his left hand that he sustained last week in a loss to the Utah Jazz, according to ESPN's Shams Charania, who updated his previous report from earlier Tuesday, in which he originally said the Dallas Mavericks star was likely to undergo a procedure that would sideline him for several months.
Davis, who reportedly received a second opinion on the injury Tuesday, appeared to take issue with the initial news. He cryptically retorted via X within the hour of Charania's first report, "Yall better stop listening to all these lies on these apps!"
Now the expectation is that Davis will be re-evaluated in six weeks, per Charania.
But Charania continued to report Tuesday that the Mavericks are still considering dealing the 10-time All-Star, even though he's expected to be out through the NBA's Feb. 5 trade deadline. The 15-25 Mavs renewed trade talks with multiple interested teams once the severity of injury was known, per Charania.
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Davis, 32, has been considered a top trade target for a while now, although his latest setback could affect his value. It's important to note that, after this year's draft, the Mavericks won't have control of their first-round pick again until 2031. Previously interested teams who double as playoff contenders include the Toronto Raptors and Atlanta Hawks, according to ESPN.
Last season, Davis was a centerpiece in one of the league's most shocking deals ever when the Los Angeles Lakers shipped him to Dallas as part of a three-team trade that delivered five-time All-NBA first-team guard Luka Dončić to L.A.
While Dončić has become the face of the franchise Davis won a championship with during the 2020 season, Davis has had a turbulent experience with the Mavericks.
The big man has appeared in just 29 regular-season games, as well as two play-in games, since infamous Dallas general manager Nico Harrison acquired him last February.
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Following the trade, the former No. 1 overall pick was healing up from an abdominal injury. He hurried back and instantly starred with a dominant first half on Feb. 8, 2025 against the Houston Rockets, but an adductor strain related to the injury he was recovering from spoiled his night.
He missed the following six weeks.
Then, during an April 2 game versus the Hawks, Mavericks teammate Daniel Gafford accidentally elbowed Davis in his right eye. The injury ultimately required offseason surgery to repair a detached retina, and now Davis wears protective eyewear on the floor.
Five games into this season, on Oct. 29, 2025 versus the Indiana Pacers, Davis suffered a left calf strain that kept him out 14 games after Mavericks owner Patrick Dumont reportedly delayed green-lighting the Kentucky product's return until the team had medical data indicating Davis wasn't at risk of aggravating the injury. Along the way, Harrison was fired.
Davis came back in late November, only to then exit the Mavs' Christmas Day game against the Golden State Warriors with right groin spasms.
Davis was back in the lineup on New Year's Day, but he picked up his hand injury a week later while defending Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen on a baseline drive.
Injuries have been a thorn in Davis' side throughout his career, which started with New Orleans in 2012, continued in Los Angeles, and has practically gone dormant in Dallas.
Davis is due $58.5 million next season, per ESPN, which reported last week that he has a player option for $62.8 million in 2027-28.
