Mavericks to be without Anthony Davis against his hometown Chicago Bulls

The Dallas Mavericks will close off a three-game road trip against the Chicago Bulls on Saturday night. This should be a homecoming game for Anthony Davis, but instead, it could mark the beginning of the end of his tenure in Dallas.

With about two minutes remaining in Thursday's game against the Utah Jazz, Lauri Markkanen drove the baseline to get to the basket, and it looks like Davis got his left hand stuck in Markkanen's jersey. Davis left the game and wouldn't return. It then came out on Friday that Davis is expected to be out multiple weeks due to ligament damage.

That has people wondering if Davis has played his last game as a Maverick. There had been a lot of trade chatter surrounding him for the last few months, but those rumors could die down with the deadline less than a month away. It's unlikely Davis is back by then, and his value is probably rock bottom now. So, unless the Mavericks dump his salary for pennies on the dollar, it's hard to imagine a trade materializing.

Jan 8, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Anthony Davis (3) looks to pass against the Utah Jazz during the first half at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Meanwhile, the Mavericks have to play without Davis once again on Saturday, this time against the Bulls. Dallas is coming off a disheartening loss to the Jazz despite leading by 7 with less than five minutes left, but they were outscored 16-4 over the next four minutes. That's a tough pill to swallow. But it also might point them in the direction they need to go, which is tanking.

Cooper Flagg bounced back to form against the Jazz after a few games with lower scoring totals, and he'll be the primary focus moving forward for the Mavs. Develop him, surround him with the best talent possible, and sell off veterans for draft picks.

After a hot start to the season, the Bulls have come crashing back down to reality and are now the same old Bulls. No team has defined "Mediocrity" quite like the Bulls in the 2020s, and that's no different this year. Josh Giddey has been dealing with a hamstring issue, which has hurt the Bulls, as he was averaging nearly a triple-double. Matas Buzelis has taken a nice jump this year, but not a big enough jump to be considered a future star yet.