The Anthony Davis trade is now impossible! Mavericks might benefit unexpectedly: following the Thunder and Spurs' path to resurgence

As of January 10th Beijing time, during his 11 months with the Dallas Mavericks, Anthony Davis will miss significant time for the third occasion.

Davis sustained his latest injury in the final period of Friday's game versus the Utah Jazz, injuring the ligaments in his left hand while guarding Lauri Markkanen’s drive. According to league sources speaking to The Athletic, Davis will see a hand specialist to determine if surgery is necessary; even if surgery is avoided, he is expected to be sidelined for several weeks.

With this new injury, what lies ahead for the Mavericks—who had planned to trade him—and for Davis himself?Multiple NBA insiders interviewed by The Athletic today unanimously believe the Mavericks will not complete a trade for Davis before the February 6 trade deadline.Previously, Davis’s trade value was already low due to contract issues (a $58.5 million salary next season and a $62.8 million player option in 2027-28) and injury risks; this recent hand injury only worsens his trade appeal.

For Mavericks fans, the only silver lining might be:The worse the team performs in the remaining games this season, the better it actually isThis season, when Davis played, the Mavericks held a 10-10 record; without him, they are 4-14. The team's record during his absences projects to only 18 wins over a full season, which paradoxically could benefit the franchise.

Why is this the case? Because after this season, the Mavericks won’t regain full control of their first-round draft picks until 2031. This makes their selections at this June’s draft crucial for finding a cornerstone player.

Last spring, the Mavericks were trapped by a poor trade involving Luka Doncic but found a “lifeline” by drafting Flagg. Just turned 19 last month, Flagg is already one of the best young players in NBA history. In December, he scored 42 points against the Jazz on the road; in their second Salt Lake City meeting, he nearly became the youngest player ever to record a triple-double in NBA history.

Although Flagg has shown great promise, the Mavericks still need to surround him with more elite young talent to compete with strong northern rivals Oklahoma City Thunder and southern foes San Antonio Spurs along the Interstate 35 corridor.

The Thunder sacrificed 22-win and 24-win seasons to build a championship core around Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. They used the 6th pick in the 2022 draft to select Josh Giddey, later trading him for defensive specialist Alex Caruso; in 2023, they took Chet Holmgren with the second overall pick. Holmgren is now one of the league’s premier rim protectors and an efficient offensive contributor.

Meanwhile, the Spurs, currently second in the West, have drafted within the top four picks for the past three years: selecting Victor Wembanyama first overall in 2023, taking Kessler with the 4th pick in 2024, and choosing Dylan Harper second overall in the previous draft.

The Mavericks must find the perfect partner for Flagg in this year’s draft. While Davis’s injury is unfortunate, his absence actually increases Dallas’s chances of landing a high lottery pick—possibly even a top-four selection—to draft their own Holmgren or Kessler.

The Mavericks (14-24) currently have a 26.3% chance of securing a top-four pick. Even if their performance worsens, it’s unlikely they will finish worse than teams like the Pacers (7-31), Wizards (10-27), Nets (11-24), Pelicans (9-31), or Kings (8-30).

However, without Davis, Dallas might perform worse than the Jazz (13-24, who need a poor record to keep their pick from going to the Thunder unless it lands in the top eight) or Clippers (14-23, who must send their pick to the Thunder regardless of results).

Davis’s injury clarifies the Mavericks’ future direction: top Western Conference teams are built through multiple high lottery picks.

The Mavericks can restart trade talks for Davis this summer. In the next four months, their best strategy is to tank—losing games intentionally—which is not difficult without this $54 million core player.