Anthony Davis Injury Update: NBA insider fuels optimism as Mavericks star forward's adductor strain recovery gains momentum

Since Anthony Davis' ludicrous debut with the Dallas Mavericks in early February, where he logged 26 points, 16 rebounds, seven assists and three blocks over just 31 minutes, the 10-time All-Star has yet to return to the court. In the wake of Kyrie Irving's season-ending injury, there has been tons of speculation as to whether or not Davis will return to the court or be shut down for the year.

On Friday, HoopsHype's Michael Scotto revealed via X (formerly Twitter) that Davis had been cleared to increase his activity at practice. Similarly, Dereck Lively II has started doing individual court work. Additionally, according to his report, the Mavericks have updated Daniel Gafford's status and plan to re-evaluate him again in two weeks.

"Anthony Davis (adductor strain) has been cleared for more dynamic on-court movements. Dereck Lively II (ankle stress fracture) is now doing individual court work. Davis and Lively II will now be evaluated weekly. Daniel Gafford (knee sprain) will be evaluated again in two weeks," Scotto tweeted.

With Irving out for the remainder of the year, the expectation is that the Mavericks will likely play it safe with the three big men rather than attempt to rush them back for a postseason run.

Currently, the team is in 10th place in the Western Conference, 2.5 games ahead of the 11th-placed Phoenix Suns. While, right now, the team is positioned to be in the Play-In Tournament, without Irving healthy, their chances of making waves in the playoffs seem incredibly slim.

"They're going to have some hard conversations," - Shams Charania predicts Anthony Davis and his reps could push to shut him down for the season

When Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison traded Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis, he stressed that the move gives the team two to three years to contend for a title.

With Kyrie Irving now sidelined for the season, it seems unlikely that Dallas has a chance to make a run in the playoffs. Additionally, with Irving coming up on his 34th birthday later this month, he likely will need to play his way back into form once he does return next season.

Because of that, Shams Charania believes that there's a chance Davis and his representatives decide to shut him down for the year so as not to risk a long-term injury that could jeopardize next season.

During an appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show" this week, Charania spoke about the situation in Dallas:

"I think him, his representatives, are going to huddle up," Charania said. "They're going to have some hard conversations. It's not out of the realm of possibilities that's the last time. That one game is the last time we see Anthony Davis this season."

With just 19 games left on Dallas' regular season schedule, only time will tell if Dallas shuts Davis down for the year or has him return to action.