Anthony Davis Injury Could Shake Up NBA Trade Deadline

The Dallas Mavericks started the 2025–26 NBA season pretty poorly. Injuries and roster imbalance led to a poor start, and the Mavericks had to look around and decide which direction they wanted to take their team. On the one hand, they had players like Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving, superstars on the tail ends of their prime, looking to compete for a title. On the other hand, they had Cooper Flagg. Flagg's incredible play, even as the youngest player in the NBA, made the Mavericks realize that they needed to pivot their future towards building and growing around Flagg. 

And what do you do when you decide to build around a 19-year-old superstar prospect? You trade away veteran pieces for young players and picks. 

That’s why Anthony Davis became one of the biggest names in the NBA trade rumor mill. But now, another Davis injury may be putting the Mavericks' plans at risk. 

"The Dallas Mavericks announced today that Anthony Davis underwent an MRI that revealed he sustained ligament damage in his left hand. Davis is currently seeking multiple opinions, and further updates will be provided as appropriate."

With Davis out for a chunk of time, the teams interested in trading for him may change their minds. For the last few seasons, and really his whole career, Davis has been a huge injury risk. When he plays, he’s one of the best players in the league. The problem is, he can’t stay on the court for a whole season. 

So will teams still want to pursue Davis now that he’s banged up once again? The Mavericks' asking price certainly has to drop. That means they might want to hold onto him until the offseason. Regardless, this Davis injury is a bummer for the Mavericks and anyone who may have wanted to trade for him.