Report: Anthony Davis does not require hand surgery after second opinion from Dr. Steven Shin

ESPN’s Shams Charania originally reported the regular season was all but over for Dallas Mavericks center Anthony Davis. Surgery on his left hand meant Davis would miss several months. And with the Mavs 10 games under .500, the postseason is not looking likely.

A few hours later, a new development came from Charania. Now, he says Davis got a second opinion from Dr. Steven Shin in Los Angeles, and surgery is not required. Davis will get another evaluation in over a month’s time.

“Update: Dallas’ Anthony Davis will not require surgery on his injured hand after a second opinion with specialist Dr. Steven Shin in Los Angeles on Tuesday and will be re-evaluated in six weeks, league sources tell ESPN,” Charania said via X.

Davis has been in the news for more than just his injuries in recent weeks. Plenty of teams are reportedly interested in trading for Davis, even with the hand issue. If he can be healthy in time for the postseason, he is still viewed as a piece capable of helping win an NBA Championship.

And then there consideration about the future, where Davis is likely in line for a contract extension this summer. If a team does trade for Davis, it would go a long way in helping them keep him there long-term.

“As reported earlier, the Mavericks have had renewed trade talks around Davis with multiple interested teams and those conversations are continuing as Dallas stands 15-25, 12th in the Western Conference, and prioritizing the big-picture outlook around Cooper Flagg,” Charania said via X.

The Mavericks were hoping to find success with both Flagg and Davis on the roster. Kyrie Irving is another important piece of the puzzle, but he is still recovering from a torn ACL. There was a thought about Dallas waiting for that trio to return and play together before making any kind of decisions.

However, assets are needed in order to build around Flagg. While the Mavs own their 2026 first-round pick, prior trades mean the future is a mess from a draft standpoint. Finding valuable pieces to put next to Flagg for the coming years is important.

Davis certainly has the opportunity to provide something. The NBA trade deadline is set for Feb. 5, just under a month away. Receiving improved news of the health of Davis this season is a big boost in generating more interest on the trade market.