Mavericks suffer a major blow! Anthony Davis faces left hand ligament injury and may require surgery, potentially sidelining him for several months.

On January 10th Beijing time, as reported by Shams, Dallas Mavericks star Anthony Davis suffered a left hand ligament injury. Based on follow-up evaluations and whether surgery is necessary, Davis might be out for several months.

Davis injured his left hand near the end of the fourth quarter in Friday’s road game versus the Utah Jazz; video from the scene shows the injury happened as he was guarding Lauri Markkanen during a drive.

Mike Curtis of the Dallas Morning News reported that although Davis clearly felt discomfort, he initially said he could continue playing and only left the game with 2:08 remaining. ESPN’s Tim McMahon revealed that the 32-year-old star bent over in pain in the players’ tunnel and did not return to the court afterward.

Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd commented after the game, “He injured his left hand. That’s all the information we have right now.”

The five-time All-NBA big man played 35 minutes in the game, scoring 21 points, grabbing 11 rebounds, and dishing out 4 assists, but the team still lost, dropping to a 14-24 record.

Turning 33 this March, Davis is set to earn over $58 million next season, with a player option worth $62.7 million for 2027-28. Following this injury, the Mavericks’ approach to handling him has become uncertain, leaving the team with limited options as they face a “contract dilemma.”

The Mavericks are expected to continue evaluating trade offers for Davis in the coming weeks, but sources indicate management does not feel compelled to trade him before the deadline. The team wants to see how Davis, Flagg, and Irving perform together and has not ruled out keeping Davis long-term.

However, league insiders say Davis’s camp believes the chances of re-signing with the Mavericks during the offseason are very slim, so they are strongly pushing for a trade to a team more likely to offer a contract extension.

The Mavericks want to assess their full-strength lineup, but their key players keep getting injured; they want to retain Davis but are unwilling to meet his salary demands; and if they consider trading him, which team would be willing to take on his large contract?

Teams previously interested in trading for Davis now must reconsider: his talent is undeniable, but “availability” remains a constant question mark.