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Apr 9, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward P.J. Washington (25) and Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) in action during the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Los Angeles Lakers at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Three things to watch as Mavericks close preseason against Lakers

Originally posted on Dallas Mavericks on SI
By Austin Veazey | Last updated Oct 15, 2025 12:30 PM ET

The Dallas Mavericks will play their fourth and final game of the preseason on Wednesday night, and it could be a juicy one. They'll be in Las Vegas to play the Los Angeles Lakers in what could be a revenge game if the Lakers decide to play Luka Doncic.

Doncic just played on Tuesday night against the Phoenix Suns, where he had 25 points and 7 rebounds in 22 minutes. JJ Redick said Doncic would play in 2 of the final 3 preseason games before Tuesday's game, and they have one last game against the Sacramento Kings on the 17th. It seems unlikely they would play him in a back-to-back after being careful with him all preseason training camp, not wanting to overwork him after Eurobasket.

Here are three things to watch for, even if Doncic ends up not playing.

Even if Doncic is Out, It's Still Weird for Him

Mavericks fans are still upset that Nico Harrison traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, and Doncic himself admitted that he wanted to be a Maverick for life. For that reason alone, any game against his former team will be weird, and he admitted as much after Tuesday's game.

“I mean, it’s obviously going to be something. Obviously, I’m going to feel something every game I play against them. I am kind of starting a new chapter here … but … it’s always going to be something”

Luka Doncic on seeing Dallas on the Lakers’ preseason schedule tomorrow: “I mean, it’s obviously going to be something. Obviously I’m going to feel something every game I play against them. I am kind of starting a new chapter here … but … it’s always going to be something” pic.twitter.com/FGioUQZ8XU
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) October 15, 2025

LeBron James Out For 3-4 Weeks

For people in Vegas hoping to see some NBA stars, Doncic may not play, and LeBron James is definitely out. It was reported that he has a sciatica injury down the right side of his body, which is the largest nerve in the body, running from the lower back down through the back of each leg.

That has ruled James out for at least 2-3 weeks until he's re-evaluated, and it'll likely be another week after that until he's back on the floor, so he's probably going to miss 8-10 regular season games. That's a shame, because Dallas could use the exercise against talented players before the regular season starts.

Will Anthony Davis Play More Minutes at Center?

Anthony Davis has played most of the preseason at power forward, which has led to some discourse about what position he should be playing, as the first two games weren't very clean on offense. He then played a lot of center during the third preseason game against the Utah Jazz and, unsurprisingly, the offense looked much better.

Center is Anthony Davis' best position, but he wants to play mostly power forward. With Daniel Gafford out with an ankle injury, Davis may have to play some minutes at center, which is for the best anyway.