NBA Rumors: Anthony Davis Expected to Make Mavs Debut vs. Rockets amid Injury Rehab

Dallas Mavericks big man Anthony Davis reportedly is expected to make his debut with the team on Saturday against the Houston Rockets, according to NBA reporter Marc Stein, and won't feature in Thursday's contest against the Boston Celtics.

The Mavericks acquired Davis from the Los Angeles Lakers as part of a larger deal that notably saw five-time All-NBA First Team guard Luka Dončić headed the other way.

The 31-year-old Davis has averaged 25.7 points on 52.8 percent shooting, 11.9 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game. He's a nine-time All-Star, five-time All-NBA player and five-time All-NBA Defensive Team member who has a spot on the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team. Davis is also an NBA champion after winning a title with the 2019-20 Los Angeles Lakers.

Davis has been out since Jan. 28, when he suffered an abdominal strain during his final Lakers game, a 114-100 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.

However, hope reigned that he could return in the near future:

Without Davis, the Mavs are thin down low until rookie Dereck Lively II returns from a right ankle stress fracture. Dallas reported on Jan. 22 that he'd be re-evaluated in a month. Dwight Powell has also been out since Jan. 17 with a right hip strain, and big man Daniel Gafford suffered a left shoulder injury on Tuesday, Feb. 4 against the 76ers.

Davis' return, of course, would be a welcome sight for a Mavs team that sorely needs firepower, especially with Dončić now a Laker. Dallas also needs all the help it can get as the team fights for the playoffs one year after winning the Western Conference.