Mavericks' Anthony Davis ticking time bomb explodes with new injury

Dallas Mavericks big man Anthony Davis exited Thursday's game against the Golden State Warriors with what the team ruled as right groin spasms, consequently throwing the Mavs' trade plans into a whirl. It was a non-contact injury, as Davis was running down the court in the second quarter before feeling some sort of tweak in his groin.

He had to be subbed out of the game immediately, and Dallas has clearly let the ticking time bomb that is Anthony Davis wind down for far too long. Davis injured his groin (left adductor strain) last season in his first game as a Maverick, and that caused him to miss the next 18 games. The injuries for Davis keep striking right when it seems like he is healthy, and Dallas clearly can't rely on him to stay on the court.

This groin injury was awful news for the Mavericks, as any injury that he suffers drives his trade value further down. The trade deadline is just 41 days away, and any setback to Davis could ruin the Mavericks' chance at netting an ideal return. Dallas is known to be exploring trades around Davis, but teams around the league want to see him remain healthy and playing well before making a move for him.

Anthony Davis' Christmas injury could cause his trade value to nosedive

That's exactly what he was doing before getting injured on Christmas Day. He was averaging 30.0 points, 13.7 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game in the three games before the game against Golden State, and now Dallas could be without him for extended time if this injury ends up being serious. The momentum that he created is now at risk, and rival teams know it, too.

This is the exact reason that many Mavericks fans wanted him traded earlier this season. Every game that he plays in comes with the risk that he could get injured, and Dallas could be stuck with a contract that no team wants to take on.

It seemed like his trade value was finally starting to increase over the last month or so, as he was playing well ever since returning to the lineup from a left calf strain that sidelined him for 14 games. He was dominating the paint, protecting the rim, and rebounding at an elite level. Davis was also playing center for nearly all of his minutes rather than power forward, proving to Jason Kidd and every team watching him that he is much better at the five rather than power forward.

While the Mavericks aren't set on trading Davis by any means, they may have already missed their best chance yet at trading him earlier this month. He was playing great before getting injured yesterday, and teams such as the Toronto Raptors and Atlanta Hawks had shown interest in him.

Dallas could've likely at least gotten some first-round draft capital back for him along with a young prospect and some expiring contracts, but teams could shy away from any Davis trade depending on the severity of the right groin spasms that he was dealing with against the Warriors. He is in year one of a three-year, $175 million contract, and he is also extension-eligible after this season.

Davis and his camp will obviously want an extension, and this is one of the many reasons that the Mavericks should've ended the Davis experiment earlier. Dallas has their real superstar in town with Cooper Flagg, and every move that they make from this moment forward should be to build around him.

If Davis is out for significant time with this groin injury, the Mavericks can kiss any chance of moving on from him and getting a decent return to jumpstart the Flagg era goodbye. He hasn't played in more than five straight games as a Maverick since arriving in Dallas in February, and his lengthy injury history may have driven his trade value down to a critical level.

If Davis' groin injury is serious, the Mavericks may have missed their last realistic chance to turn the Luka Doncic trade mistake into real assets.