Anthony Davis headlines lengthy Mavericks injury report vs. Pistons

The Dallas Mavericks are away from home for the first time this season as they get ready to play the Detroit Pistons in Mexico City on Saturday night. It's been a questionable start to the season for the Mavericks, and they may be putting Bill Simmons' "Ewing Theory" to the test for the next few games.

Dallas announced on Friday evening that star forward Anthony Davis will miss at least the next two games with a low-grade left calf strain and will be re-evaluated once they return from the road trip. He'll probably end up missing a few more games than that, as calf strains are a serious injury, and the increase in Achilles injuries over the last few years has everyone on alert.

The irony is that this is exactly how the Mavericks reached the decision to trade Luka Doncic last year. He suffered a calf strain on Christmas Day last year, and then he and the Mavericks disagreed on what his recovery timeline would be. Dallas thought it would be a few weeks, while Doncic and his training team believed it would be closer to two months (which is what it ended up being).

Davis being out puts Dallas' frontcourt at risk, as Dereck Lively II (right knee sprain) did not travel with the team. His injury had been listed as a knee contusion in the last few games, but has now been changed to a sprain.

Oct 26, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Anthony Davis (3) looks to hand the ball off to guard D'Angelo Russell (5) during the second quarter against the Toronto Raptors at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Full Mavericks-Pistons Injury Report

The Mavericks are still without Kyrie Irving (left ACL surgery recovery) and Dante Exum (right knee injury management), and now D'Angelo Russell is questionable to play with a left knee contusion. So that's going to place extra emphasis on Brandon Williams and Jaden Hardy. Williams had a great game on Wednesday night against the Indiana Pacers, leading the team in scoring with 20 points.

If Russell is unable to go, Cooper Flagg and Naji Marshall will also be asked to increase their ball-handling roles. Flagg has started at point guard all season, to mixed results, as it's not his natural position, even if he has natural playmaking instincts.

For Detroit, they'll be without Jaden Ivey, who had arthroscopic surgery for his right knee just before the start of the season, which will keep him out for a few weeks. Marcus Sasser, who has yet to play this season, is questionable to play with an impingement in his right hip.

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