Just when the Dallas Mavericks believe they’ve weathered the storm, $175.4 million man Anthony Davis proves that their wishful thinking is nothing but that.

Mavs $175.4 Million Trade Chip Anthony Davis Suffers Untimely Injury

On Thursday, Davis sustained a hand injury with 2:08 remaining in the fourth quarter of a close-fought battle against the Utah Jazz while attempting to stop Lauri Markkanen on the drive. After the play, Davis could be seen sitting on the bench hunched over, holding his left hand (h/t Ron Harrod Jr. of DLLS Mavs). Rocking back-and-forth. Then, heading into the tunnel with a member of the Mavs staff, he literally doubled-over in pain.

A better angle of the Anthony Davis injury.

He has to stop before making it back to the locker room. https://t.co/RdIr5vODjw pic.twitter.com/sLy9nrd9aK

— Ron Harrod Jr. (@RonKnowsSports) January 9, 2026

He didn’t return and Dallas lost to Utah, 114-116. In 35 minutes, he recorded 20 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, one steal and one block. Following the game, Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd would tell reporters: “He hurt his left hand. That’s all we had.” (h/t Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal.com)

Anthony Davis was sidelined for the final minutes of the Dallas Mavericks’ loss against the Utah Jazz after injuring his left hand. He went to the back of the arena as the Mavs closed the game.

Jason Kidd on info about Davis’ injury: “He hurt his left hand. That’s all we had.”

— Grant Afseth (@GrantAfseth) January 9, 2026

This season, Davis has only appeared in 20 of the 38 games that Dallas has played.

Anthony Davis’s Injury Could Have Huge Effect On Trade Deadline

Davis’s injury could have a huge ripple effect on the rest of the NBA, as he’s one of the most sought after players on the trade market. So much so that one of the reasons the Atlanta Hawks traded star point guard Trae Young to the Washington Wizards was to make a deal for Davis more feasible, according to ESPN insider Shams Charania. The Golden State Warriors, Toronto Raptors, Chicago Bulls, Milwaukee Bucks and Detroit Pistons have been connected to Davis as well.

Obviously, Davis’s lack of durability isn’t a new development, as he’s historically an injury-prone player. For reference, he’s only played 60+ games in two seasons since 2018-19. Because of that, the fact that he may be on the mend again hasn’t caught anyone by surprise. Nonetheless, teams are understandably going to be less keen on trading for a player that’s currently injured. Even the ones that may believe they just need Davis to be healthy at the right time (i.e., the playoffs).