Washington Wizards post Anthony Davis has yet to play a game for his new team. And he realistically won’t play again until the start of the 2026-27 season when the Wizards are poised to make the postseason for the first time since 2020-21, at least on paper.
Davis has suffered a number of injuries in recent years. But not long before his trade to Washington, Davis injured his left hand and finger in a game for the Dallas Mavericks when they were playing the Utah Jazz on Jan. 8, 2026. He sustained ligament damage and faced the possibility of having surgery, though Davis ultimately refused.
To break down hand and finger injuries, we spoke with Dr. Noah Raizman, an orthopaedic surgeon for The Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics, specializing in hand and upper extremity surgery. Dr. Raizman has worked with athletes at the high school, NCAA Division I and professional levels, including for active players on the PGA Tour, the MLB’s Boston Red Sox, Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Guardians, and the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers.
As a disclaimer, Dr. Volk’s statements are spoke in the aggregate and aren’t specific to Young’s situation. They are also not official diagnoses. Please consult your physician for your situation.
BF: What kind of injury did Davis have within his hand?
Dr. Raizman: While the Dallas Mavericks [Davis’ team at the time of injury] did not disclose what specific injury is, it is likely a volar plate injury on one of the small joints in the metacarpal phalange.
(Note: In plain English, what Dr. Raizman wrote is that Davis may have injured his hand by jamming a finger and getting a torn or stretched ligament at the knuckle joint in the process.)
BF: What is the typical recovery time for this type of injury?
Dr. Raizman: It typically takes 6-8 weeks for the ligament to solidly heal, and there is conditioning work that can help support it. To support NBA caliber play, longer than 6 weeks is the best recovery timeline.
BF: Should Davis be worried about repeating this injury again once he’s back?
Dr. Raizman: This injury does not put Davis at a higher risk for other similar injuries, but there is a risk of further injury if he returns too early, not allowing the finger to fully heal.
BF: Anything else to note about this injury?
Given how the Wizards are performing this season and their potential to get a high 2026 draft pick, it does not seem like they are in a major rush to get him back on the court. Again, since Davis could risk reinjury if he returns too early, the Wizards should hold off on playing him, ensuring that the injury is fully healed.