Once again, Anthony Davis has found his way to the sidelines.

Through no obvious fault of his own, the 10-time NBA All-Star has earned the unfortunate moniker “Anthony Day-to-Davis” due to his persistent injury issues. Over the first 13 years of his career, he has averaged just 60 games played per season and has eclipsed the 70-game mark only three times.

This season has followed a familiar script. 

Davis has appeared in only 20 of the Dallas Mavericks’ first 38 games and is now set to miss additional time after suffering a hand injury in their recent road loss to the Utah Jazz. What makes this loss even worse is that when available, he has been productive, averaging 20.4 points, 11.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.7 blocks. 

His continued unavailability, however, has undercut Dallas’ ability to find any sustained rhythm.

The split in their performance with him on the floor is quite stark. The Mavericks are a .500 team (10–10) with Davis in the lineup, but fall to 4–14 without him—leaving them 12th in the West at the moment with a 14–24 record. Dallas clearly needs Davis on the floor to remain competitive, and with him expected to miss at least several more weeks, the organization’s focus may soon go all-in on player development–especially with 2025 first overall pick Cooper Flagg rounding into form in recent weeks–rather than short-term results.

Complicating matters further is that the team was reportedly exploring trade options involving the 32-year-old forward ahead of next month’s deadline. Any such move now would almost certainly net them a discounted return which would risk further alienation of the fanbase. After all, Davis was the centerpiece of the return that Dallas received in last year’s blockbuster deal that sent Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Ultimately, this latest development only reinforces the same uncomfortable truth that Dallas and its fans have grappled with since acquiring Davis. When he is on the floor, the Mavericks are competitive and are a play-in team at worst, regardless of who else is on the floor. When he is not, they are basically a lottery team. 

Dallas would do well to be patient with regards to Davis’ recovery and instead pivot towards Flagg’s development. With a healthy Davis and Kyrie Irving teaming up with Flagg next season, they have a chance of becoming contenders if–and this is a major if–they can remain healthy. All is not lost for the Mavericks, but for them to make the most of this situation, they will have to take a longer term view with regards to their team.