At this point, you have to feel bad for Anthony Davis. It has been almost a year since he landed in Dallas, after the bewildering trade that Nico Harrison pulled.
At this point, you have to feel bad for Anthony Davis. It has been almost a year since he landed in Dallas, after the bewildering trade that Nico Harrison pulled. Since then, he has suited up in a Mavs uniform just 29 times. Reports suggest that Dallas was exploring trade options for Davis when he exited the Utah game with ligament damage in his left hand. He is now out for at least six weeks, and if he requires surgery, he could be out for months.
Amid his devastating hand injury, Davis’ contract extension has taken center stage. The 2020 NBA champion is due for a four-year, $275 million extension this offseason. Both Rich Paul and the Mavs continue to explore options for Davis’ next destination. Given Davis’ history of injuries, there are doubts about whether any NBA team would be willing to give him the max extension.
But DeMarcus Cousins made a very compelling case for why teams should invest in Davis.
“This is sports. So in sports, injuries happen, we all know that,” Cousins said on the Run It Back show. “So to sit here and make this narrative about, you know, his injury history is plenty of players that have gotten paid off injuries. We watch Kevin Durant get a max deal off an Achilles injury.”
“We’ve seen Chris Paul get deals coming off of his history of hamstring injury. It’s Joel Embiid. It’s so many players throughout the history of this game that still get what they deserve, and they’ve been injured. So let’s not start making this just about his injury. When he’s on the floor, he’s worth every penny.”
However, according to The Athletic, the Mavs want to keep Davis around. They want to see how their trio of Cooper Flagg, Irving and AD plays out when all of them are healthy on the floor. If so, Dallas has a way to maximize his stay and use his injury to their advantage.
Could Anthony Davis’ injury prove to be a blessing for Dallas?
The Luka Doncic trade brought a lot of misfortune for the Dallas Mavericks. Since Nico Harrison and the Mavericks front office pulled the trade, they lost Kyrie Irving to an ACL injury, and Anthony Davis has played 29 games.
Davis has been more prone to injuries in Dallas than he was in LA during his last two seasons in a Purple & Gold uniform.
Following Davis’ latest injury, Dallas must make a quick decision about its 2025-26 season. This is one season that the Mavs can capitalize on, at least in the next few years. The Mavericks should try to tank. Why? Because of their draft picks in the next few years.
In the next five years, Dallas owns just one of their first-round draft picks in 2026. The Hornets protect their top two picks in 2027. They have swapped their first-round pick in 2028 with the OKC Thunder.
In the subsequent two drafts, the Mavs’ first-round picks are swapped with the Houston Rockets and the San Antonio Spurs. So, the one option that Dallas is left with is to get an improved pick than what they were anticipating before the season started.
With Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis out of the lineup, the Mavs have the perfect excuse to tank. This will allow them to move up in the draft pick. The 2026 draft is loaded with talent, and if the Mavericks can land any of the top five picks, they could be safe in their future building.
Davis still has two years in his contract after this season, including a player option in 2027-28. When healthy, he is an elite scorer and one of the best rim protectors in the league.
Next season, Irving will be back in the lineup, and expect Cooper Flagg to be at least a far better version of himself. If Davis, Irving and Flagg’s lineup gets a boost from the 2026 draft pick, they can climb to the contender’s position in the next few seasons.
The post “Worth Every Penny”: Anthony Davis Gets Strong Backing on $275M Extension Despite Injury Concerns appeared first on EssentiallySports.
Category: General Sports
