Dallas Mavericks big man Anthony Davis is expected to miss multiple weeks due to a left adductor strain, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. The injury came in the third quarter of Saturday’s win over the Houston Rockets, which was Davis’ first game as a member of the Mavericks following his acquisition at the trade deadline.
Davis had previously missed roughly two weeks with an abdominal injury suffered when he was a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. He was spectacular early in his Mavericks debut, racking up 26 points, 16 rebounds and seven assists in only 31 minutes on the floor. However, in the third quarter, he attempted to guard Jalen Green on a pick-and-roll before rotation over to Alperen Sengun on a pocket pass. As he rotated, he collapsed with a non-contact injury and left the game.
The injury leaves Dallas seriously shorthanded in the front court, as second-year center Dereck Lively is also out with a stress fracture in his right ankle. The Mavericks said he would be re-evaluated in four weeks at the time of his injury in late-January, but reports have indicated he could potentially miss the rest of the regular season.
Mavericks owner appears to take shot at Luka Doncic, assistant coach leaves staff in latest trade fallout
Sam Quinn
The Davis injury marks the latest twist in the thus-far disastrous Luka Doncic trade saga for the Mavericks. Dallas was widely panned for trading the 25-year-old Doncic, fresh off of a trip to the NBA Finals, for the 31-year-old Davis, who has a lengthy injury history. Injuries reared their ugly head as soon as Davis arrived in Dallas.
Now, the Mavericks are in a difficult position. They made the Doncic-for-Davis swap in part because they felt it gave them a better chance to win this season, as Doncic has also been sidelined due to a calf injury. Now, however, they will be without Davis for a meaningful chunk of time. Lively is also sidelined, and Caleb Martin, another deadline acquisition, is dealing with a hip injury severe enough that Philadelphia had to add a second-round pick to the deal just to get it across the finish line. The Mavericks are 28-25 on the season and currently control the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference. They lead No. 11 Golden State, who just acquired Jimmy Butler, but only by 1.5 games.
Doncic, meanwhile, could debut for the Lakers as soon as Monday. It’s far too early to peg a winner in the deal, but with Davis sidelined, the Lakers are likelier far happier with where they are, comfortably in the No. 5 seed having won nine of their last 10 games, than the Mavericks, who are fighting just to reach the postseason.
