
Dallas Mavericks forward Anthony Davis had offseason surgery to repair a detached retina, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Tuesday.
Davis is expected to be ready to return in time for training camp, according to the report.
The surgery appears to be in part the result of an injury Davis sustained to his right eye on April 2. Davis’ teammate Daniel Gafford inadvertently elbowed Davis in his eye in a game against the Atlanta Hawks. Davis left the game bleeding and returned with a bandage above his right eye. A cut above his eye required four stitches.
The injury didn’t appear to impact Davis’ play. Davis scored 34 points and hit the game-winning bucket in the 120-118 win over Atlanta. He missed the following game, but that was due to it being the first night of a back-to-back set as Davis had recently returned to a lineup from an adductor strain that sidelined him for 18 games.
Davis’ health is key to the Mavericks’ hopes of returning to the playoff next season and contending in a competitive Western Conference. When healthy, Davis is one of the game’s most impactful two-way players. But that’s always a significant contingency when it comes to Davis.
Davis was limited to 51 games last season and has played in more than 62 regular-season games just once in the last seven seasons. He played in nine of a possible 33 games after arriving to the Mavericks via the controversial trade that sent franchise player Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Mavericks will be under significant pressure to not only return to the playoffs but contend for a championship next season after trading the now 26-year-old Dončić for 32-year-old Davis. Davis is the centerpiece of a lineup that also features injured All-Star guard Kyrie Irving and rookie Cooper Flagg, the No. 1 pick in last month’s NBA Draft.
To compete, the Mavericks will need Davis to remain healthy and Irving to return to form after sustaining an ACL tear that’s expected to continue to sideline him for the start of next season.
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