Dallas Mavericks star forward Anthony Davis, who has been sidelined for the last month with a left calf strain, plans to return to action against the Lakers in Los Angeles on Friday night, sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Anthony Davis To Face Former Team
After having consecutive nights off, the Mavericks are scheduled to play a back-to-back set in Los Angeles against the Lakers on Friday and the Clippers on Saturday.
Friday night’s matchup will be the first time Davis is facing his former team in L.A. since arriving in Dallas last season as the centerpiece in the return package of the Luka Doncic blockbuster trade.
Dallas Mavericks’ Anthony Davis – sidelined for the last month with a calf strain – plans to return to action against the Lakers in Los Angeles tonight, sources tell ESPN. It’s the first time the 2020 NBA champion is facing his former team in L.A. since the February trade. pic.twitter.com/D5Dg6uPz3Y
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 28, 2025
When asked which game he’d prefer to play in after Wednesday’s practice, Davis responded with a smile and dropped a clear hint that he’d love to suit up against his former team.
“That’s a real question?” he said, via Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News.
“You know what game I want to play. But we’ll see. We’ll have a conversation and see what makes the most sense with the medical staff and the coaching staff.”
Mavericks Governor Wanted Medical Data
Charania noted that Davis, who has been sidelined since Oct. 29, originally targeted a Nov. 8 road game against the Washington Wizards as his return date.
However, Mavs governor Patrick Dumont reportedly asked for medical data indicating that Davis isn’t at risk of aggravating his left calf strain before approving his return, per ESPN’s Tim MacMahon.
According to MacMahon, Mavs director of health and performance Johann Bilsborough and Davis’ personal medical team weren’t aligned on whether Davis was ready to come back.
Dumont sided with Bilsborough, who wanted to take a cautious approach and hold Davis out longer.
Davis Expected To Sit Out Against Clippers
The plan now is for Davis to sit out Saturday’s game versus the Clippers and be available for Monday’s road game against the Denver Nuggets.
Through five appearances this season, Davis is averaging 20.8 points, 10.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.6 steals, 1.2 blocks, and 29.8 minutes per outing while shooting 52% from the field and 74.2% from the foul line.
Davis played in only nine regular-season games for the Mavericks last season.
The 10-time All-Star was recovering from an abdominal injury at the time of the trade and strained his adductor in his Mavs debut. He missed six weeks due to the adductor injury.
During the offseason, Davis also underwent a procedure to repair a detached retina that he suffered near the end of the 2024-25 season. In total, the 32-year-old has appeared in just 14 games for Dallas since that trade.
