Anthony Davis expected to miss 6 weeks in latest absence for Mavs but won't need hand surgery

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DALLAS (AP) — Dallas Mavericks big man Anthony Davis will be sidelined about six weeks in his latest injury absence, although the 10-time All-Star won't need surgery to repair ligament damage in his left hand.

The determination to skip surgery came after a medical evaluation Tuesday, and Davis' injury is expected to heal in about six weeks, the team said.

Davis was injured defending Lauri Markkanen on a drive to the basket late in the Mavericks' 116-114 loss to the Utah Jazz last week. The 32-year-old went to the bench in obvious pain before going to the locker room.

It will be the second absence of at least a month this season for Davis, who missed 15 of the 16 games in November with a calf strain. He has also been sidelined by a groin injury and has now missed half of the Mavericks' 40 games this season.

Davis had an extensive injury history when since-fired general manager Nico Harrison traded superstar Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers to get him almost a year ago.

In his Dallas debut last February, Davis re-aggravated an abdominal injury he was nursing when the Lakers traded him. He missed the next 18 games. Davis has missed 40 of 71 Dallas games since that debut, including the two games in last season's play-in tournament when Davis was on the court.

Another lengthy absence is a significant development if the Mavericks want to consider trading Davis as a way to move on from the Doncic deal that has ended up being a significant setback for the franchise.

It also could affect what Dallas decides to do about the return of Kyrie Irving. The nine-time All-Star guard tore the ACL in his left knee early last March, and a rough timeline for Irving's return was sometime after the first of the year this season.

While rookie No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg has shown plenty of promise, Dallas is an also-ran in the Western Conference playoff race. The Mavericks are well on their way to missing the postseason for the second consecutive year since reaching the 2024 NBA Finals led by Doncic and Irving.

The possibility of Davis returning in six weeks could improve the prospects for a trade to a contender. He could return in time to ramp up for the playoffs and try to establish a future with the next organization.

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