Dallas Mavericks DVOA, Stats, & NBA Rankings

Dallas Mavericks guard Dante Exum (wrist) will make his season debut on Friday against the Detroit Pistons, but he will have a minutes restriction. Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd has announced that Exum will not play more than 15 minutes. The Australian guard, who returned to the NBA last season, averaged 19.8 minutes in 2023-24, so he could be fairly close to his normal workload. Exum notched 7.8 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 2.9 assists a season ago. He will be a good addition to the Mavericks rotation but likely will not make much noise in fantasy basketball.

Dallas Mavericks guard Dante Exum (wrist) has been upgraded to questionable on Friday for their contest against the Detroit Pistons. The 29-year-old had surgery on his wrist and hasn't been able to appear in a game yet this season. This is the first time he was upgraded to questionable which means if he doesn't play on Friday, he'll likely play at some point during their road trip. Last season, Exum averaged 7.8 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.0 threes across 19.8 minutes per contest. Spencer Dinwiddie and Quentin Grimes will remain the top streaming options on the Mavericks while Luka Doncic (calf) remains sidelined as well.

Dallas Mavericks forward Naji Marshall (illness) will return to action on Wednesday against the New Orleans Pelicans. A bout with an illness has kept Marshall sidelined for four games. The former Pelican has played a significant role for the Mavericks in 2024-25, averaging 11.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.6 assists in 24.7 minutes. However, he will likely fall short of these numbers on Wednesday, as Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd has told the media that Marshall will be limited to 15 minutes.

Los Angeles Lakers forward/center Anthony Davis (abdomen) will be sidelined for at least a week due to an abdominal muscle strain. He sustained the injury during Tuesday's game against the Philadelphia 76ers. The team plans to re-evaluate Davis in approximately one week, meaning he will be unavailable for at least three games, starting with Thursday's contest against the Washington Wizards. The Lakers' reserve bigs Jaxson Hayes and Christian Koloko will likely take on heavier workloads during Davis' absence, with Jarred Vanderbilt and Dorian Finney-Smith potentially also seeing more action.

Los Angeles Lakers center Anthony Davis (abdomen) won't return to Tuesday's game against the 76ers. AD suffered an abdomen strain, ending his night after only 10 minutes of work. He'll likely need to undergo further testing. However, it's certainly possible that he misses Thursday's matchup with the Washington Wizards, at least. In the meantime, Jarred Vanderbilt, who didn't play on Tuesday, could take Davis' spot in the rotation, although Christian Koloko and Jaxson Hayes should also be in line for more minutes.