Mavericks‘ star Anthony Davis is likely to undergo surgery for ligament damage in his left hand, according to ESPN. Davis had been out for the past two games for Dallas, seeking multiple opinions on if surgery was needed for the injury. He sustained the injury during Dallas’ 116-114 loss to the Utah Jazz last week, when his hand got caught in Lauri Markkanen’s jersey while defending him under the basket.
When the injury occurred, Davis immediately began grabbing at his hand in pain and came out of the game. He walked back to the locker room, but paused for a moment in the tunnel doubled over in pain.
When the Mavericks traveled to Chicago to face the Bulls on Saturday, Davis was seen in a sling with his hand heavily wrapped. With surgery expected, this would sideline Davis for the next few months, and could potentially be the end of his season.
It could also be the end of his time with the Mavericks, as Charania reports that Dallas still plans to make him available on the trade market leading up to the Feb. 5 trade deadline. Given Davis’ current injured status, as well as his hefty contract and lengthy injury history, determining what team would be willing to take the risk to take him on is difficult.
There was thought that the Hawks could make a run at Davis, especially after they traded Trae Young to the Wizards, which makes them able to take on the $54.1 million Davis is owed this season. But now that he’ll be undergoing surgery, Atlanta probably isn’t on the list of incredibly short teams that have interest in the All-NBA forward.
If there is a team out there who still wants Davis, the Mavericks will have to sell low on the big man. That’s a consequence of trading for an oft-injured player who hasn’t been able to stay on the floor long enough to rebuild his trade value. The Raptors have been linked to Davis in the past, so too have the Bulls and Warriors at one point or another. But at this point, it would be more shocking for Davis to be traded before the deadline than to see him suit up for the Mavericks again this season.
