The Dallas Mavericks are trying to shake off Monday night’s loss to the Sacramento Kings, but the schedule doesn’t exactly hand them a soft landing. San Antonio is next on Wednesday, and the injury report is where this one gets interesting.
The biggest development is Santi Aldama, who has been upgraded to questionable for the first time this season. He still hasn’t played after knee surgery in March, and the Mavericks had hoped he’d be ready by opening night.
Instead, they’ve taken the cautious route. If he does suit up, it would come in a demanding spot right away, with Victor Wembanyama waiting on the other side.
Aldama’s value is pretty clear in this matchup. As a stretch 4/5, he can pull Wembanyama away from the rim and create more room for Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving to attack downhill. That kind of spacing could matter a lot against San Antonio’s size.
Irving, meanwhile, is available for Wednesday after missing Monday’s game while Dallas manages his ACL recovery. With four games in the next six days, another night off wouldn’t have been a surprise, but he is not on the injury report for this one.
Caleb Martin is also available as he works through a right thumb strain. He started the previous game with Irving sidelined. Max Christie, though, is out after suffering a right hip injury on Monday, and Dallas will have to figure out who steps into his spot.
The Mavericks are also still without rookie guard Sergio De Larrea, who has a knee sprain and is expected to be re-evaluated this week. Tarik Biberovic remains out as well with right heel bursitis after not playing yet this season. He had been listed as doubtful in a few games last week, but is now simply out.
Dereck Lively II is still unavailable while recovering from foot surgery in December, and no timetable has been given for his return.
San Antonio’s injury list has its own absences. Tobias Harris remains out with a left calf strain and has not played this season, while rookie Jayden Quaintance will miss most of the year after surgery on his right knee.
In Other News...
Mavericks Suddenly Have A Kyrie Concern They Can't Ignore
Kyrie Irving popped up on Dallas injury report ahead of the upcoming game against the Utah Jazz, and the designation is enough to make the Mavericks pay attention. He is listed as probable because of an illness, a reminder that even with the season moving along, the team still has to manage the health of a player who has already missed time this year and remains central to everything Dallas wants to do on offense.
Irvings status comes against the backdrop of a Mavericks report that includes several other players dealing with their own injury issues, which has become a familiar part of the nightly calculus. Dallas has already seen Irving miss two games this season for injury management, and after working his way back from an ACL injury, the last thing the team wants is another setback to complicate its rotation. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks May Finally Get The Frontcourt Fix Theyve Been Missing
The Mavericks are getting closer to a healthier frontcourt mix ahead of their matchup with the Jazz, with Santi Aldama upgraded to probable after working back from knee surgery in March. Max Christie is also listed as probable after sitting out the previous game with hip soreness, while Dallas still has other players unavailable as it continues to manage a thin rotation.
Aldamas return is the part that stands out most for Dallas, because his presence should help with the kind of frontcourt shooting and offensive spacing the team has been missing. The Mavericks have been looking for more balance around the basket and beyond the arc, and getting Aldama back in the fold could give them a different look when they need it most. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Are Staying In The Race Before Their Roster Gets Whole
The Mavericks have managed to keep pace early, opening the season 4-3 even while leaning through some injury-related absences. For a team still waiting to get its roster closer to whole, that kind of start matters, especially with the frontcourt and perimeter both set to get some help once the injured pieces begin filtering back in.
Santi Aldama is expected to return soon, and his shooting and versatility should give Dallas a useful boost up front. Tarik Biberovic also looms as a potential answer on the wing as a sharpshooter who could help address the teams three-point shooting, while Dereck Lively II remains sidelined after foot surgery with no immediate return date, leaving the Mavericks to keep piecing things together for now. [Read more 🡒]