Anthony Davis will not have hand surgery for torn ligaments, to be re-evaluated in six weeks
UPDATE: ESPN’s Shams Charania has updated his earlier report to reflect what Anthony Davis was saying all along, that there will be no hand surgery for the Mavericks big man. Davis "will not require surgery on his injured hand after a second opinion with specialist Dr. Steven Shin in Los Angeles on Tuesday," Charania wrote on X.
Davis will be re-evaluated in six weeks, which means he will be out past the Feb. 5 trade deadline and the NBA All-Star Game. Charania re-emphasized that Dallas is working hard to find a trade for Davis. Whether they can find one or not is another question. One thing to remember: Dallas currently has the eighth-worst record in the league — which would give it a 26.2% chance of a top-four pick in a stacked NBA draft next June — and it won't control its own pick again until 2031. The Mavericks want to make the most out of this opportunity.
What follows is our original story from earlier today, with AD denying reports that he would have hand surgery.
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Where things stand with Anthony Davis' hand injury remains up in the air, with Davis stepping in to deny the latest reports.
Davis is "likely to undergo surgery to repair ligament damage in his left hand," reports Shams Charania of ESPN, something that would sideline Davis for months. Charania's use of the word "likely" is interesting as a qualifier, implying Davis is still looking to find a way back sooner from this injury.
Davis posted this not long after the Charania report.
Yall better stop listening to all these lies on these apps!
— Anthony Davis (@AntDavis23) January 13, 2026
Davis also replied "lies" to an aggregation site's echoing of Charania's report. Davis has not been completely clear about what part is the lie, whether it's the surgery, how long he will be out or the trade rumors or all of it. There has been no official confirmation from the Mavericks on Davis' plans (or, for that matter, details about the injury).
In addition to his injury report, Charania adds that Dallas is reengaging in trade talks with "multiple interested teams." The idea is that if Davis has surgery, he might be able to return during the playoffs and help a team. Assuming Davis even goes through with the surgery, betting on him being able to return and be impactful is a considerable risk for a team, the kind of gamble contenders are hesitant to make in-season. These teams would be giving up a large package of players and picks in the hope that Davis could make a comeback during the playoffs and step right in, instantly helping them in an intense series. He'd also be "establishing himself for the long-term elsewhere," Charania writes. A Davis trade in the offseason remains the most likely outcome.
Davis' injury happened to be on what appeared to be an innocent play against Utah on Jan. 8. Lauri Markkanen tried to drive past Davis, who was physical in response, but he got his hand caught up in Markkanen's jersey. Davis was clearly in pain and left the game.
Anthony Davis walked off the court late in the fourth quarter vs. Utah after suffering an apparent left-hand injury.
This comes after only returning to the Mavericks 8 days ago following a groin injury.#NBA pic.twitter.com/bQT8dF6hL3
— ESPN Australia & NZ (@ESPNAusNZ) January 9, 2026
Davis, an NBA champion and 10-time All-Star, has played well when healthy this season, averaging 20.4 points on 50.6% shooting, grabbing 11.1 rebounds per game, plus playing at an All-Defensive Team level on that end of the court. Dallas has been looking for a trade partner as it works to pivot to building around No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg. However, pulling off an in-season trade for a 32-year-old injured player making $54.1 million — plus $58.5 million next season, a $62.8 million player option after that, and he wants a contract extension — is very difficult to pull off.
