Mavericks Receive Disappointing Anthony Davis Injury News Ahead of 2025 NBA Season

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paul White | Last updated Sep 11, 2025 10:28 AM ET

The Dallas Mavericks are just over a year removed from being in the NBA Finals, but there are few remnants remaining from that iteration of the team.

They traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis back in February, and the team has been a disaster since.

They quickly plummeted from playoff contention after Davis suffered an injury in his first game and point guard Kyrie Irving tore his ACL just a few weeks later.

They were able to make the Play-In Tournament, but fell a game short of advancing to the postseason.

After obtaining the No. 1 pick in the draft, selecting Duke superstar Cooper Flagg, the vibes around the team seemed to improve a bit, but now they’re back in the gutter.

It was reported Thursday morning that Davis being on the court for opening night isn’t a guarantee because of an ongoing injury he’s nursing.

Report: Anthony Davis (eye surgery) is questionable for the season opener.#MFFL pic.twitter.com/BCYUMNpKQW
— MFFL (@Mavs_FFL) September 11, 2025

The former champion suffered a detached retina in his eye, but he still hasn’t fully recovered following his surgery in July. Davis still isn’t doing much work on the court, which is a troubling sign with training camp just a couple weeks out.

Injury Implications for Dallas

The Mavericks shrank their contention window considerably by trading for Davis, who is nearly six years older than Doncic, so they need to make the most of every season. They knew it was a risk trading for the oft-injured big man, and those concerns have quickly come to light.

With Davis sidelined for the foreseeable future and Irving out until the new year at the earliest, Dallas is now forced to rely on a rookie to lead the team until they get back.

Flagg is considered to be the best NBA prospect in years, but everyone has a learning curve, so the Mavericks can’t expect him to hit the ground running and lead them to contention.

It’s uncertain when Davis will be back, if he misses any time at all, but it’s not a good sign that he’s hardly participating in basketball activities. The team could be dealing with another cursed season if he doesn’t return soon.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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