NBA big man Anthony Davis didn’t finish out his first game with the Mavericks before suffering his latest injury. As the 2020 champ continues his recovery, Shams Charania provided a crucial update on his potential return.
“It’s very possible that Anthony Davis has played his last season for the Mavericks. I am told that he is continuing to go through his rehab with the adductor strain to see if there’s a potential window for his return late in the season,” said Shams. “But there are two very tricky factors at play here. On one side, this is a soft tissue injury, so to make sure he’s at 100% and doesn’t risk further re-injury is very important. On the other side is where the Mavericks will be in the standings. If there is a window for him to return late in the season. If they are still in the play-in picture, then does it make sense to bring him back? As an organization, they have to weigh the risk/reward of Anthony Davis playing in potentially meaningless or in play-in games late this season. Because what this trade set up is a three-year title window that starts with Anthony Davis being healthy.”
The Dallas Mavericks are in a tricky situation following the blockbuster trade that swapped Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis. After blaming Luka for improper conditioning and poor work ethic, the Mavericks desperately needed a win to validate such a controversial move.
Unfortunately, they lost Davis before finishing his first game and now they are down Kyrie Irving after he tore his ACL. Davis, who is averaging 25.7 points, 12.0 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game on 55.6% shooting, is the last hope for a potential playoff run this year.
He’s been out for the past few weeks with an adductor strain but he’s progressing in his recovery and the Mavericks recently announced that he’s been cleared for more dynamic movements on the court.
With their current situation, however, the Mavericks may not bring Davis back at all until next season. Without Luka Doncic or Kyrie Irving, the Mavericks have fallen behind in the standings and now sit at 10th in the West at 32-31. Even if Davis comes back, they’ll likely be a play-in team at best with a potential matchup against the Celtics or Cavaliers in the first round.
The best course of action for Dallas may be to shut Davis down and give him an extended offseason of rest, recovery, and preparation for the 2025-26 campaign. The 10x All-Star turns 32 on Tuesday and with such an extensive injury history, it makes sense to use a safe and cautious approach with his availability.
After giving up their future to assemble this team, it’s more important than ever for the Mavericks to get the most out of this group even if it means punting on this season to preserve their chances in 2026 and beyond.
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