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NBA insider provides update on Mavericks' Anthony Davis injury
Oct 22, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Anthony Davis (3) dribbles during the game against the San Antonio Spurs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Dallas Mavericks star Anthony Davis left in the first quarter of Wednesday's game against the Indiana Pacers with lower leg soreness. It's a concerning injury, because Davis entered the game on the injury report due to "bilateral Achilles tendinopathy," which is stiffness in both Achilles tendons, and tends to occur because of overuse.

That's even more concerning because of Anthony Davis' injury history and he's 32 years old. It's not getting any better for him on that front. One of the many reasons everyone criticized the Luka Doncic trade is because they traded a young and better player for someone who is older and can't stay healthy.

Davis is now in jeopardy of missing a few games. NBA insider Marc Stein revealed that it is "expected" that Davis will at least be ruled out of Saturday's game against the Detroit Pistons, which is going on in Mexico City.

We won't officially know Davis' status until the Mavericks release their preliminary injury report on Friday night, but the Mavs could be down their entire center rotation except for Dwight Powell. Daniel Gafford has yet to play due to an ankle sprain he suffered on the first day of training camp, while Dereck Lively II has missed the last two games because of a knee contusion.

Gafford and Lively were listed as doubtful heading into Wednesday's game, though Gafford was listed as questionable a few games ago. When they might return is still an unknown, so we could be seeing a lot of Dwight Powell until then, who did have a great game on Wednesday against the Pacers, scoring 18 points.

We could also see more of P.J. Washington at center, who has spent some time there the last few games. He's a great rebounder for his size, so they can use it in certain situations.

This is Why Anthony Davis is a Risk As a Primary Star

Anthony Davis has played more than 65 games just once over the last seven seasons, and has always been criticized for his injury history. He was asked to be the primary star to start the season as Kyrie Irving is recovering from a torn ACL and likely won't be back for a few more months.

That's why the Doncic trade was so frustrating for so many people. To rely on someone like Davis at this stage of his career is a lot of risk, and even if this injury could be minimal, it could be something that continues to flare up.

This article first appeared on Dallas Mavericks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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