Anthony Davis will return from injury versus Lakers on Friday

The Los Angeles Lakers have been surging of late, and the way their schedule is set up, they may not lose another game for a little while. Armed with a five-game winning streak and a 13-4 record, they will host the Dallas Mavericks on Friday in their final game of group play in the Emirates NBA Cup.

They have already clinched a spot in the quarterfinal round of the tournament, and they can strengthen their positioning for that round with another victory on Friday.

While the Mavericks are struggling and have a 5-14 record, which puts them in next-to-last place in the Western Conference, they will be getting a boost on Friday. Anthony Davis, the former Lakers superstar big man, will be returning to game action after missing the team's last 14 games with a calf strain.

Via ESPN:

"Dallas Mavericks star power forward/center Anthony Davis, who has been sidelined for the past month with a calf strain, plans to return to action against the Lakers in Los Angeles on Friday night, sources told ESPN," wrote Shams Charania and Tim MacMahon.

"It will be the first time the 2020 NBA champion is facing his former team in L.A. since the February trade that sent Davis to the Mavs as part of the package in exchange for superstar guard Luka Doncic."

Davis is averaging 20.8 points, 10.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 29.8 minutes a game, numbers that are below par for him, so far this season. Shortly after arriving in Dallas in February as part of the Doncic trade, he injured his left adductor and missed 18 straight games as a result.

He, of course, played five and a half seasons with the Lakers, and upon his arrival in 2019, they immediately went from missing the playoffs to winning the NBA championship.

Davis' name has come up in trade rumors lately, and according to at least one report, Dallas is open to shipping him out at some point in the near future.

This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Anthony Davis will return from injury versus Lakers on Friday