Anthony Davis Has Ligament Damage In Hand, Out Indefinitely
5:30 pm: The Mavericks officially confirmed (via Twitter) that Davis has ligament damage in his left hand, which was revealed by an MRI. Davis is seeking multiple opinions for the injury and updates will be provided as appropriate.
4:05 pm: In a full story for ESPN.com, Charania and MacMahon report that Davis is expected to be out at least six weeks if he’s able to avoid surgery. Undergoing a procedure would sideline the one-time NBA champion for “several” months, sources tell ESPN.
3:24 pm: Mavericks big man Anthony Davis has ligament damage in his left hand, according to Shams Charania and Tim MacMahon of ESPN (Twitter link).
Davis is getting a second opinion on his hand and could miss multiple months if surgery is deemed the best course of action to treat the injury, per ESPN’s duo. Either way, it sounds like Davis — one of the top names on trade market — will be out of action beyond the February 5 deadline, tweets Charania.
The 32-year-old forward/center sustained the injury late in the fourth quarter during Thursday’s loss at Utah. His hand appeared to bend back at an odd angle while defending Lauri Markkanen on a drive (YouTube link).
Davis initially signaled to Mavs head coach Jason Kidd that he was OK to stay in the game despite being in noticeable discomfort, but checked out a couple of possessions later after Kidd called a timeout. The 10-time All-Star was doubled over in pain in the tunnel of the arena and did not return.
Davis, who has a lengthy injury history, has been plagued by multiple ailments (adductor, eye, calf, groin) since was traded to Dallas last February in the shocking blockbuster that sent Luka Doncic to the Lakers. The Mavs are 10-10 with Davis in the lineup this season but just 4-14 when he’s unavailable.
Not only does Davis’ hand injury decrease the odds of him being dealt before Feb. 5, it may make the Mavs more likely to shut down Kyrie Irving for the 2025/26 campaign as well, notes Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints (via Twitter). Irving is out indefinitely after tearing his ACL last March.
2026 is the last draft which in which the Mavericks control their first-round pick until 2031, observes Marc Stein (Twitter link), so prioritizing a top selection for the remainder of the year seems likely. The offseason may be a different matter, however, given the lack of future draft control.
In 20 games this season, Davis has averaged 20.4 points, 11.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.7 blocks in 31.3 minutes per contest. The former No. 1 overall pick is under contract through 2027/28, with a $62.8MM player option for that final season.
Centers Daniel Gafford, Dwight Powell and Moussa Cisse are candidates for more playing time with Davis out indefinitely.
Hawks Trade Trae Young To Wizards
January 9: The trade is official, the Hawks confirmed today in a press release.
“On behalf of the Hawks franchise, I’d like to thank Trae for how he embraced the city of Atlanta and represented the Hawks during his time here, on the court and in the community,” Hawks general manager Onsi Saleh said in a statement. “Over more than seven seasons, including four All-Star appearances, he cemented himself as a fan favorite and one of the great players in our franchise’s history. We wish Trae and his family all the best.
“Adding CJ McCollum, one of the NBA’s most prolific shooters and a respected veteran, along with an established young veteran in Corey Kispert, will strengthen our team on the court and in the locker room, and we retain flexibility for future opportunities to continue building our program.”
January 7: The Hawks have reached an agreement to send Trae Young to the Wizards in exchange for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). No draft picks are being included in the trade, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
Charania reported earlier today that Washington was Young’s preferred destination in a deal. He gets a chance to restart his career as a veteran presence on a young team after spending seven-plus seasons in Atlanta.
Young was a four-time All-Star with the Hawks, including last season when he was the NBA’s assists leader with 11.6 per game. However, he was limited to just 10 games this season after suffering a sprained MCL in late October and a right quad contusion that has kept him out recently.
According to Charania (Twitter link), the Hawks liked the look of their offense over the past two months centered around dynamic forward Jalen Johnson and a collection of wings and depth rather than relying on a ball-dominant guard like Young.
They also get out from under Young’s $49MM player option for 2026/27 and his desire for a contract extension. McCollum is a versatile guard with playoff experience who has a $30.6MM expiring deal, while Kispert is under contract for nearly $14MM this season and next and roughly $13MM in 2027/28.
The salary flexibility could make Atlanta more willing to increase its pursuit of Mavericks big man Anthony Davis before the trade deadline. Numerous reports have indicated that the Hawks are interested in acquiring Davis, but didn’t want to have his salary and Young’s on their books at the same time.
Charania points out that the deal reunites Young with Wizards executive Travis Schlenk, a former Hawks general manager who drafted him with the fifth pick in 2018 (Twitter link). Charania adds that team president Michael Winger and general manager Will Dawkins have been targeting a veteran star to blend with the young talent they’ve accumulated in recent drafts (Twitter link).
The Hawks no longer project to be over the cap this summer and could have $29MM in cap space, according to Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link). With McCollum, Kristaps Porzingis and Luke Kennard, Atlanta has more than $70MM in expiring contracts. The acquisition of Young leaves the Wizards with a projected $46MM in cap room, down from about $80MM, assuming he doesn’t opt out and leave in free agency.
The Hawks “heavily valued” Kispert’s three-point shooting and viewed him as a vital part of the deal, sources tell Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints. He has been limited to 19 games this season due to injuries to his thumb and hamstring.
McCollum, who has been a full-time starter in his first season with Washington, provides another proven scorer for the Hawks’ backcourt. He’s not likely to get bought out once the deal is complete, according to cap expert Yossi Gozlan (Twitter link), because his Bird rights could become useful in an offseason sign-and-trade. If there is a buyout, Gozlan notes that apron teams such as Cleveland, Dallas, Golden State, Minnesota and New York wouldn’t be permitted to sign McCollum.
According to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press (Twitter link), Young left the Hawks’ bench with about 31 seconds left in tonight’s game and gave high-fives to a few of his teammates as he headed to the locker room (YouTube link). At a post-game press conference, coach Quin Snyder told reporters that he’s “not at liberty to talk about or answer” any questions about the Young deal because it hasn’t been officially finalized, per Brad Rowland of Locked on Hawks (Twitter link).
Trade Rumors: Morant, Ball, Bucks, Kings, Kuminga
The Hawks‘ return for a four-time All-Star like Trae Young may look awfully modest, but a scout who spoke to Sam Amick of The Athletic suggests it may be equally difficult for other teams with defensively limited point guards to extract real value for them. That group includes the Grizzlies with Ja Morant and the Hornets with LaMelo Ball.
“Ja, Trae and LaMelo don’t have that much value because the game has changed around them,” that scout said.
According to Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst of ESPN, rival executives have conveyed a similar sentiment, pointing to Young’s maximum-salary contract and the league-wide depth at the point guard spot as reasons why they think Atlanta made out reasonably well in the deal. Conversely, some of those execs questioned the Wizards‘ decision to trade for Young.
“I know from a value proposition why you look at it,” an Eastern Conference scout said. “But if I’m the Wizards, just keep being bad, and stuff will figure itself out. I’m not sure why they felt the need to do this.”
“Offense is so easy now,” a Western Conference executive added. “One of the worst teams in the league can still easily put up 115 points in a game. … It’s hard for these small point guards to have real value with how the game is played now.”
We have more trade notes and rumors from around the NBA:
- While the Bucks have been connected to multiple Kings players, including Zach LaVine and Malik Monk, there were no active discussions between the two teams as of earlier this week, league sources tell Amick. Amick also confirms that the Bucks are among many teams believed to have interest in Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. and that they’ve conveyed interest in Anthony Davis, though they don’t appear to have a realistic path to a deal for the Mavericks big man.
- Checking in on the Jonathan Kuminga situation, Amick writes that the Kings are still widely viewed as the frontrunner to acquire the Warriors forward, but are no longer willing to offer the protected 2030 first-round pick that was on the table during the offseason, echoing a similar report from ESPN. Additionally, since Golden State has registered no real interest in Sacramento’s veterans, a third team may be necessary to make a deal that gets Kuminga to the Kings, Amick adds.
- ESPN’s Kevin Pelton and Zach Kram suggest six hypothetical trades they think make sense for all involved parties, with cap expert Bobby Marks analyzing each proposal. Their ideas range from bigger moves like the Bucks getting Porter or the Warriors landing Trey Murphy III to more minor deals like the Raptors acquiring Brook Lopez.
Mavs’ Anthony Davis Suffers Left Hand Injury Thursday
Mavericks forward/center Anthony Davis suffered a left hand injury late in the fourth quarter of Thursday’s two-point loss at Utah. The injury appeared to occur when he was defending Lauri Markkanen on a drive (Twitter video link).
Despite clearly being bothered, Davis initially said he was OK to stay in the game, tweets Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News, before checking out with 2:08 remaining. The 32-year-old was “doubled over in pain” in the tunnel of the arena and did not return, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN (Twitter link).
“He hurt his left hand. That’s all we had,” head coach Jason Kidd said after the game (Twitter link via Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal).
The five-time All-NBA big man finished with 21 points, 11 rebounds and four assists in 35 minutes as Dallas fell to 14-24.
Backup guard Brandon Williams was also forced to leave Thursday’s loss early due to an illness, the Mavs announced (via Twitter). The 26-year-old had scored in double figures in five consecutive games heading into Thursday, averaging 19.0 PPG, 4.4 RPG and 3.4 APG in 27.0 MPG over that span, but was limited to two points in just under nine minutes tonight.
Trade Rumors: Davis, Hawks, Raptors, Zion, Bulls
ESPN’s Shams Charania recently reported that the Hawks were considered likely to remain in pursuit of Mavericks big man Anthony Davis after clearing Trae Young‘s salary from their books for next season. However, a Davis deal between the two teams looks unlikely at this juncture, sources tell Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal.com.
While Atlanta has a level of interest in Davis, the team has been unwilling to part with either Zaccharie Risacher or the prized 2026 first-round pick the team controls (better of Pelicans’ or Bucks’) in talks for the 10-time All-Star, Afseth writes. I’d be very surprised if that 2026 first-rounder is ever made available under any circumstances, let alone for an oft-injured star in his 30s like Davis, so a potential trade may hinge on whether the Hawks change their stance on Risacher.
Several reports have stated Davis is looking for a contract extension in the offseason, but the Mavs aren’t making any promises on that front, according to Afseth. The Athletic reported on Wednesday that Davis’ camp aren’t convinced Dallas is interested in an extension and wouldn’t mind trying to get him to a team more likely to pursue a new deal.
Here are some more trade rumors from around the NBA:
- Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca confirms the Raptors have conveyed “exploratory interest” in Davis, but he’s skeptical that a trade will be consummated (Twitter video link). As Lewenberg explains, Toronto’s outgoing salary in a two-team deal with Dallas for Davis would probably consist of RJ Barrett and Jakob Poeltl, and if that were the case, the Mavericks would likely want multiple first-round picks in the deal. The Raptors have shown a willingness to take buy-low swings on stars with lengthy injury histories in the past, Lewenberg adds, but giving up two or three first-rounders for Davis wouldn’t qualify as buying low.
- As for what moves look likely for the Raptors, getting below the luxury tax line is a priority, according to Lewenberg, who continues to hear Ochai Agbaji is a potential salary-dump candidate, though he acknowledges the team would likely have to attach a sweetener or two in such a deal. Lewenberg points to Daniel Gafford (Mavericks) and Goga Bitadze (Magic) as a couple of centers to keep an eye on, but says the Raptors have also been happy with the development of Collin Murray-Boyles and don’t want to impede the rookie big man’s progress. Overall, a significant Raptors trade looks more likely to occur in the offseason than before the February 5 deadline, Lewenberg adds.
- On the “Clutch Scoops” show (Twitter video link), Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints said the Bulls are a potential suitor for Pelicans forward Zion Williamson. “Keep a close eye on the [Bulls] maybe pursuing Zion Williamson. … I’ve heard that there’s been some smoke there about Chicago scouting New Orleans in recent weeks and Zion would be the ideal buy-low candidate for a team like the Bulls who have a lot of expiring contracts,” Siegel said.
Trae Young Trade Notes: Possible Extension, Trade Bonus, TPE, More
Once the trade sending Trae Young to Washington is officially complete, the Wizards and their new starting point guard will be open to exploring a potential contract extension, but it won’t be “top of mind,” reports ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne (Twitter link).
As Shelburne explains, both the Wizards and Young may take the opportunity to evaluate the situation and the fit before making a decision on their long-term future together. That process could extend to the 2026/27 season, since Young holds a $49MM player option that he could pick up if he doesn’t sign an extension and doesn’t want to test the free agent market.
If Young were to sign an extension with the Wizards in the coming months, it would require him to turn down his option and replace it with a new deal starting in ’26/27. An agreement between the two sides could tack on a maximum of three years to the current season.
If Young picks up his option in June, he would be eligible during the offseason to sign an extension that begins in ’27/28 and adds up to four new seasons to his option year.
Here’s much more on the first trade of the 2025/26 NBA season:
- Young’s contract includes a 15% trade kicker, and there has been no indication that he won’t receive his bonus as part of the trade. However, trade bonuses don’t apply to option years and can’t increase a player’s salary beyond his maximum for that year. Young currently has a $45,999,660 cap hit for this season and his maximum salary would be $46,394,100, so if he receives his full bonus, he’ll get a $394,440 bump.
- The Hawks are sending out more salary than they’re taking back in the deal and will generate a small traded player exception as a result. That exception will be worth $1,357,994.
- Having cleared Young’s salary from their books for next season, the Hawks are considered likely to remain in pursuit of Mavericks big man Anthony Davis, ESPN’s Shams Charania said on Wednesday evening during an appearance on NBA Countdown (Twitter video link). As John Hollinger of The Athletic observes, CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert can’t have their salaries aggregated in a second trade prior to the February 5 deadline, so any Atlanta package for Davis ($54.1MM) would have to start with the expiring contracts of Kristaps Porzingis ($30.7MM) and Luke Kennard ($11MM), and it may have to include Zaccharie Risacher ($13.2MM) too.
- The Wizards will open up a roster spot once the trade is complete, and Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link) suggests it could be used to promote two-way player Tristan Vukcevic to a standard multiyear contract. Washington may wait on that until after the trade deadline, since Vukcevic won’t hit his 50-game limit for another month or so, and maintaining roster flexibility could help the team accommodate another deadline deal.
- Kevin Pelton of ESPN thinks the trade could be a win-win for the Wizards and Hawks, giving both teams a grade of B for the deal. Zach Harper of The Athletic is far less bullish on the move from Atlanta’s perspective, assigning the Hawks a D-plus grade while giving Washington an A.
- McCollum told Chris Haynes of NBA on Prime (Twitter link) that he “loved” his brief time in D.C. but is looking forward to joining the Hawks. “(The Wizards’) organization was great to my family and I,” McCollum said. “(Executives) Michael Winger and Will (Dawkins) did everything they said they would and kept their word from the very beginning. Love the city and they’re doing things the right way over there. Excited to get to the A and get to work. Very familiar with their style of play. Love the ownership group and front office. Good group of players.”
Siegel’s Latest: Sabonis, Raptors, Bucks, Warriors, Nets, White, Lakers
After buying low on Brandon Ingram at last season’s trade deadline, could the Raptors seek out a similar move this February? According to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, Kings center Domantas Sabonis is one name that has been continually linked to Toronto. The Raptors’ interest in Sabonis was first reported in December by Jake Fischer and has since been corroborated by several other outlets.
Malik Monk is another player who has intrigued Toronto in the past, Siegel writes, noting that Kings general manager Scott Perry drafted current Raptors veterans RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley when he was in New York’s front office. While there’s no indication that the two teams have seriously discussed such a deal involving those four players, Siegel suggests that sort of framework could be worth keeping an eye on.
If Toronto does end up moving Barrett in that sort of bigger move, he’d likely draw interest from several teams besides Sacramento, Siegel writes, given the lack of high-level wing talent on the trade market. The Bucks, for example, expressed interest in Barrett last season, per Siegel.
Here’s more from Siegel’s latest NBA rumor round-up:
- The Warriors have internally discussed many possible center trade targets, including Myles Turner and Bobby Portis of the Bucks, per Siegel. A number of teams around the NBA are curious about Milwaukee’s plans for Portis, Siegel continues, with the Hornets and Suns also considered possible suitors, perhaps in multi-team scenarios.
- Suns guard Jalen Green is among the players the Bucks have inquired on, but Phoenix isn’t interested in moving him at this point, says Siegel. Given that Green has only played two games this season due to hamstring issues, the Suns view him as a sort of trade-deadline addition themselves, Siegel explains.
- Although the Nets are fielding inquiries on players like Michael Porter Jr. and Nic Claxton, they aren’t actively looking to move them. In order for Brooklyn to consider a deal involving either player, the starting point for a package would have to be a “true” unprotected first-round pick, Siegel writes.
- The Mavericks and the Clippers are among the teams with interest in Bulls guard Coby White, sources tell Siegel, who reiterates that the Timberwolves also remain interested and notes that some league insiders have speculated that the Hawks could be a destination for White in the event of a Trae Young trade.
- With higher-level options like Herbert Jones potentially out of reach, players like Bulls forward Isaac Okoro, Kings guard Keon Ellis, and Nets wing Haywood Highsmith are considered more realistic possibilities for a Lakers team seeking defensive help, according to Siegel. Mavericks forward Naji Marshall is another possible trade candidate to add to that group if Dallas commits to becoming a seller.
Injury Notes: Oubre, Watford, Vincent, LeBron, Wemby, Harden, More
The Sixers are expected to get a pair of forwards back from injuries on Wednesday vs. Washington, having upgraded Kelly Oubre Jr. and Trendon Watford to probable after they participated in today’s shootaround, tweets Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Oubre has been out since November 14 due to a left knee sprain, while Watford – who has been recovering from a left adductor strain – last played on November 25.
Both Sixers vets had been playing some of the best basketball of their careers before going down with injuries. Oubre started all 12 games he played in the fall and scored 16.8 points per game with a career-high 49.7% field goal percentage. Watford averaged 8.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 3.6 assists in 20.4 minutes per game with a .534/.389/.800 shooting line in 14 appearances (four starts).
Here are more injury updates from across the NBA:
- Lakers guard Gabe Vincent (lumbar back strain) is no longer on the injury report and appears on track to play on Wednesday vs. San Antonio after missing the past nine games, per Dan Woike of The Athletic (Twitter link). Vincent last suited up on December 14.
- Lakers forward LeBron James (left foot joint arthritis and right sciatica) and Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama (left knee bone bruise) are both listed as questionable to play on Wednesday. Wembanyama returned from a two-game absence on Tuesday vs. Memphis and seemed fine after the game, according to Michael C. Wright of ESPN, who says (via Twitter) that the plan is to have Wembanyama play vs. Los Angeles if he feels up to it.
- Clippers guard James Harden, who sat out on Monday due to shoulder stiffness, is probable to return on Wednesday vs. the Knicks, who will still be without Josh Hart (right ankle sprain), tweets James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. Hart has missed New York’s past six games, four of which were losses.
- Magic guard Jalen Suggs, who has been out for two games with a right knee MCL contusion, hasn’t progressed to contact or on-court work yet, head coach Jamahl Mosley said on Tuesday (Twitter link via Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel). “Just slowly seeing how he responds to the treatment that he does day-to-day,” Mosley said.
- While there’s still no word on a potential timeline or target date for his return, Kyrie Irving traveled with the Mavericks to Sacramento this week and completed a workout with assistant coach Phil Handy following the team’s shootaround on Tuesday, writes Grant Afseth of The Dallas Hoops Journal. Irving’s presence on the three-game road trip is a sign of progress, according to Afseth, who adds that forward P.J. Washington is considered day-to-day after sitting out Saturday’s game with a right ankle sprain.
Mavericks Granted DPEs For Dereck Lively II, Dante Exum
January 7: The Mavericks’ requests for DPEs have been granted, per Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link). As outlined below, the exceptions are worth $2,626,680 (for Lively) and $1,148,137 (for Exum).
December 29: The Mavericks have applied to the NBA for disabled player exceptions for both Dereck Lively II and Dante Exum, who have suffered season-ending injuries, according to Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Twitter link).
The DPEs would provide half of each player’s salary, so they would be modest in both cases, although they could offer some flexibility later in the season. The figures would amount to $2,626,680 for Lively (who’s making $5,253,360 on his rookie scale deal) and $1,148,137 for Exum (who has a veteran’s minimum contract worth $2,296,274).
Even if the exceptions are granted, Dallas wouldn’t be able to surpass its second-apron hard cap. The team is currently about $1.29MM below that cap.
Lively, 21, has been experiencing right foot issues since suffering a fracture in his foot/ankle area last January. It kept him out of action for two months and required him to undergo surgery in July in an effort to fix the issue. He continued to be bothered by health problems, missing a nine-game stretch in October and November due to a right knee sprain, then battling nagging discomfort in his right foot.
The decision was made to have him undergo season-ending foot surgery earlier this month.
Lively, who played a huge role in Dallas’ run to the NBA Finals as a rookie, wound up playing just seven games in his third NBA season, averaging 4.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 16.4 minutes per night.
Exum, 30, who re-signed with the team in August after battling injuries last season, wasn’t able to play at all due to complications related to an offseason procedure on his right knee. He underwent follow-up surgery earlier this month.
Dallas would have until March 10 to use either DPE to acquire a player for the rest of the season. A roster spot would have to be created, and the team can’t fit a new signing under its hard cap until January 6.
Latest On Anthony Davis
Although the Mavericks will continue fielding calls on Anthony Davis, team sources insist to Christian Clark and Sam Amick of The Athletic that the front office feels no urgency to move the star big man. As Clark and Amick explain, the Mavs have signaled that they’d like to see Davis play alongside Kyrie Irving and Cooper Flagg and can envision a scenario in which he stays in Dallas long-term.
A report earlier this week indicated that Davis’ preference would be to remain in Dallas and sign a contract extension with the Mavericks. However, AD’s representatives at Klutch Sports, led by CEO Rich Paul, aren’t convinced the Mavs are interested in extending their client and wouldn’t mind getting him to a team more likely to pursue a new contract agreement, league sources tell The Athletic.
While Davis and his camp haven’t requested a trade, Clark and Amick suggest that Paul has encouraged the Mavericks to be “more aggressive” in gauging the 32-year-old’s market rather than waiting for teams to call.
Here’s more from The Athletic’s latest report on where things stand with Davis:
- As previously reported, the Hawks and Raptors are among the teams with Davis on their radar, but it’s unclear how motivated either team will be to get a deal done with Dallas. Atlanta wouldn’t want to take on Davis’ contract without moving Trae Young, who doesn’t appeal to the Mavericks, Clark and Amick write, while a deal with Toronto would require the Mavs to take on significant multiyear money.
- As Amick wrote last week, the door isn’t completely closed on the idea of a trade sending Davis to Golden State. However, with the Warriors still “staunchly” opposed to giving up Jimmy Butler or Draymond Green in such a deal, there’s no feasible path to a salary-matching fit.
- The Bucks are among the teams to convey interest in Davis, league sources tell Clark and Amick. Milwaukee is probably a long shot though, since the club is short on appealing assets and also lacks sizable contracts for matching purposes.
- Many league insiders believe the Mavericks will have to wait until the offseason to find a deal they like for Davis, but there’s also a sense that the lack of dominant teams in the Eastern Conference could make one of those potential contenders more inclined to take a shot on Davis during the season, per Clark and Amick. “Every team in the East believes they’re an Anthony Davis away from making the (NBA) Finals,” a high-level source explained to The Athletic.