Six weeks away from the NBA trade deadline, Anthony Davis got good news about the groin injury he suffered during the Dallas Mavericks’ loss to the Golden State Warriors on Christmas Day.
ESPN’s Shams Charania noted Davis, who is described as a “significant trade target” in the report, is expected to miss only a few games due to a minor groin strain.
Davis left Thursday’s game in the second quarter with what the Mavs officially announced as right groin spasms.
While it’s certainly good that Davis avoided a major injury, it is yet another setback for the 10-time All-Star as he and the Mavs try to figure out a path forward amid a disappointing season.
The Toronto Raptors and Atlanta Hawks have reportedly shown the most trade interest in Davis thus far, but the Mavericks are setting a high price to move him and there isn’t a significant market for him at the moment.
Another team that has also been cited as a potential landing spot for the Davis are the Detroit Pistons.
Davis’ value is impossible to really figure out because he’s an impactful presence on both ends of the court when he plays. The problem is, he is struggling to stay on the court now more than at almost any other point in his career.
In the nearly 11 months since Davis being acquired in the Luka Dončić trade, he has played 25 out of a possible 65 games for the Mavs. He missed 14 consecutive games in November with a calf strain.
When you combine the injury issues with Davis’ contract, which pays him $58.5 million in 2026-27 and contains a $62.8 million player option for 2027-28, teams would seem unlikely to be eager to give up a lot to add him into the fold.
Davis is averaging 20.5 points on 52.1 percent shooting, 10.9 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.6 blocks per game in 16 starts this season, so there is upside if he goes to the right situation.
The Mavericks have a lot to figure out leading up to the Feb. 5 trade deadline. They don’t appear to be going anywhere in the West this season with a 12-20 record, but Cooper Flagg has been everything they could have hoped for when they got him with the No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft.
As long as the Mavs are able to surround Flagg with talent that better fits his development timeline, it won’t take long before they return to being a playoff contender.
Davis, who will turn 33 on March 11, doesn’t seem to fit the timeline in Dallas and is the best trade asset the franchise has, but it depends on his ability to show he can stay healthy going forward.