The Dallas Mavericks are heading into Sunday’s matchup with the Brooklyn Nets with a cleaner injury sheet than they’ve had all season.
That’s a notable shift for a team that has spent plenty of time navigating the league’s injury grind. Dallas opens a back-to-back on Sunday against Brooklyn before turning around to face the Indiana Pacers on Monday, and for once the availability picture looks relatively tidy.
Santi Aldama made his season debut on Friday in the Mavericks’ NBA Cup win over the Utah Jazz, logging 13 minutes and finishing with 8 points and 9 rebounds. He was clearly still working his way back into the flow, but he’s already off the injury report for Sunday’s game against the Nets. With the back-to-back in play, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Dallas gives him a night off Monday in Indiana.
Kyrie Irving is also clear for Sunday. He was listed on Friday because of an illness, but he still suited up, and he is not on the injury report at all against Brooklyn. Irving is now more than 600 days removed from his ACL injury.
Max Christie is another player who won’t appear on the report. He dealt with a hip issue in Monday’s loss to the Sacramento Kings, sat out Wednesday against the San Antonio Spurs, and returned on Friday. The injury appears to have been minor.
Dallas does have four names on the injury report Sunday, but only one of them is actually available: Caleb Martin.
The other three are familiar absences. Dereck Lively II remains out while recovering from foot surgery, and no timetable has been announced for his return.
Tarik Biberovic is sidelined with right heel bursitis and has yet to play this season. He had been upgraded to doubtful in a few recent games, but he has now been ruled out for the last several.
Rookie guard Sergio De Larrea is also out with a right knee sprain. He was injured early against the Miami Heat on October 26 and has not played since. The team does not believe the issue is serious.
Brooklyn, meanwhile, is playing on the second night of a back-to-back after losing to the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday night, and the Nets have not yet released their injury report. Still, guards Egor Demin and Mikel Brown Jr. are not expected to play in the game.
In Other News...
Mavericks May Have Found A Frontcourt Spark Fans Werent Expecting
The Mavericks picked up a 112-100 NBA Cup win over the Jazz, and one of the quieter bright spots was rookie Morez Johnson Jr. The frontcourt minutes he earned turned into something more meaningful than just a spot appearance, as he gave Dallas a burst of activity on the glass and around the rim while showing why the team has been intrigued by his upside.
Dusty May praised Johnsons athleticism and effort afterward, pointing to the way the rookie has continued to progress since his preseason setback. For a Dallas team always looking for useful depth up front, Johnsons emergence is the kind of development that can change the conversation quickly, even if the bigger test is still ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Dusty May Already Has The Mavericks Playing With A Different Edge
The Mavericks spent the offseason remaking both their front office and their coaching staff, and the early returns suggest Dusty May has brought a noticeably different tone to the building. Players have already pointed to his energetic approach, with Daniel Gafford among those praising the way May pushes accountability while still keeping the group engaged and confident. It is the kind of first impression that can matter in a locker room trying to reset after major change.
The on-court ripple has shown up early, too, with several players settling in quickly under the new coach. Walter Clayton Jr. has been part of that encouraging start, and P.J. Washington has also drawn notice for his improved play out of the gate. For a team that needed a fresh voice as much as a fresh plan, the bigger question now is whether this early edge can hold once the season settles into its grind. [Read more 🡒]
Cavaliers Just Gained An Early Edge In The NBA Cup Race
The 2026 NBA Cup group stage kept rolling with a slate that started to clarify the race, and Dallas has quietly put itself in a strong early position. After all 30 teams have now played at least one Cup game, the Mavericks are still unbeaten in group play, a useful spot to be in as the standings begin to take shape and the bracket picture comes into focus.
Elsewhere around the league, the Cavaliers added another win by beating the 76ers, while Luka Donis 53-point night helped the Lakers top the Trail Blazers. For Dallas, the encouraging part is less about any one result than the broader view: the Mavericks have handled their opening Cup games well enough to stay in the mix as the tournament moves toward the knockout phase, with the current standings starting to hint at what comes next. [Read more 🡒]