The Dallas Mavericks are facing another potential Anthony Davis setback.
As the fourth quarter of the Mavs’ Thursday night matchup against the Utah Jazz was winding down, Anthony Davis exited the game with just a couple of minutes left to go.
The star front-court player was seen dealing with pain in his left hand as he went back to the locker room.
With hardly any time left to go, the Mavs didn’t get Davis back on the floor. It’s unclear if he would’ve returned if the same setback occurred earlier.
NBA Fans React to the Early Exit
@thechek182: New day, same Glass Davis
@WizBetz: Every game my guy
@FrannysPlays: BRO AGAIN???
@ownedby30: Shocker
Davis has developed a reputation for dealing with many setbacks throughout his career, and he hasn’t been able to shake the injury-prone narrative since linking with the Dallas Mavericks last year.
Amid the 2024-2025 NBA season, the Los Angeles Lakers packaged Davis in a trade in order to land Luka Doncic. From the jump, Davis had a ton of pressure attached, being the key returning piece in the trade that set the Dallas fan base off.
Unfortunately, the setbacks have made it hard for Davis to live up to the expectations.
@RodneVPJ: Please warriors don’t trade for this scheduled tweet.
@ClappedCollins: “Anthony Davis is looking to earn a max contract”
@dointuumuch: Scheduled tweet
@Bankrolluni: the usual post
Lately, Davis has been back in trade rumors. As the Mavericks have struggled throughout the 2025-2026 NBA season, even after firing Nico Harrison, the architect behind that deal, the Mavericks are expected to consider some more major changes. Davis is rumored to be a potential candidate.
He is a hard sell at this time. For starters, the ongoing injury concerns is sure to keep teams hesitant. Plus, Davis is reportedly looking for a long-term commitment from the Mavs—or another team—adding another major factor to think about.
Prior to Thursday’s action, Davis had been averaging 20.3 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks. He’s still a valuable front-court player who can be a game-changer. However, the injury concerns are still in play.