Dallas Mavericks star Anthony Davis is expected to undergo surgery to repair ligament damage in his left hand and miss several months, sources told ESPN.
Davis' season is over in Dallas, sources said, given the prognosis and the Mavs' direction at 15-25 and 12th in the Western Conference. This June's NBA draft is also the last one in which the Mavericks have control of their first-round pick until 2031.
Ever since the severity of Davis' hand injury was known Friday, the Mavericks have been having renewed Davis trade talks with multiple interested teams, sources said. If moved to a playoff contender -- such as previously interested teams the Toronto Raptors and Atlanta Hawks -- the timeline could allow Davis to return during the postseason while establishing himself for the long term elsewhere, giving the 10-time All-Star's prospective next franchise a multiyear window at a lesser trade cost.
Davis, 32, injured his hand while defending Utah's Lauri Markkanen on a drive late in the Mavs' road loss to the Jazz on Thursday, a game in which Davis posted 21 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and one block in 35 minutes of action.
A variety of injuries have limited Davis to only 29 regular-season games in a Mavericks uniform since he arrived in Dallas from Los Angeles as the centerpiece of the return for Luka Doncic in a controversial trade in early February 2025.
The Mavs, who are prioritizing the long-term outlook while building around Rookie of the Year candidate Cooper Flagg, are 10-10 with Davis in the lineup and 5-15 without him.
In 20 games this season, Davis has averaged 20.4 points, 11.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.7 blocks.
