Mavericks Issue Updates On Davis, Lively, Gafford
The Mavericks provided updates on a trio of injured big men on Friday, announcing in a press release that Anthony Davis has been making daily improvements and has been cleared for “more dynamic on-court movements.”
The star forward/center has missed the past 10 games with a left adductor strain, with a recent report suggesting that Davis might miss the rest of the season with the injury.
According to the Mavericks, Davis will be evaluated on a weekly basis going forward. That means he’s out at least four more games, and it certainly doesn’t sound like his return is imminent.
Second-year center Dereck Lively, who is recovering from a right ankle stress fracture, has progressed to individual on-court work. He will also be evaluated weekly. The 21-year-old has been out since January 14, having missed the past 23 games.
Finally, the Mavs issued a vague update on center Daniel Gafford. According to the team, while Gafford is “showing progress,” he’ll be sidelined for at least two more weeks, which is when he’ll be reexamined.
Gafford, who is expected to explore an extension with Dallas in the offseason, has been sidelined since February 10 due to a right knee sprain. It was reported that he suffered a Grade 3 MCL sprain.
It has been a rough go of late for the Mavericks, who recently lost star guard Kyrie Irving to a season-ending ACL tear in his left knee. Dallas has lost five of its past six games and only had eight players active for Wednesday’s contest in Milwaukee due to the spate of injuries.
The team has an open spot on its 15-man roster but can’t fill it until April 10 due to its proximity to a hard cap.
Kings’ DeMar DeRozan Fined $25K By NBA
The NBA has fined Kings forward DeMar DeRozan $25K for publicly criticizing the officiating following Wednesday’s game at Denver, the league announced today (via Twitter). Sacramento wound up losing by six points after controlling the first three quarters.
The Kings were outscored 32-17 in the fourth quarter, with the Nuggets shooting 13 free throws in the final frame vs. Sacramento’s four.
“The refs were terrible. Terrible as s–t. Simple as that,” DeRozan said, according to Chris Biderman of The Sacramento Bee (Twitter links).
“Bunch of times we got hit, we got smacked,” the six-time All-Star continued. “Three or four shots out there, clearly got hit, got smacked. They get the same call on the other end. Throws off our whole rhythm. Gives them momentum at home. Makes it tough on us to execute.”
Known for his mid-range mastery and ability to draw fouls, DeRozan attempted a season-high 32 field goals in the game but only shot four free throws. He finished with a game-high 35 points.
It was a tough loss for the Kings, who were playing without two starters — Domantas Sabonis is on the shelf with a hamstring strain, while Malik Monk is day-to-day with a right toe sprain. Sacramento’s next game is Friday against San Antonio.
Lakers Notes: Vincent, Luka, LeBron, Reaves, Jemison
The Lakers rallied from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit before ultimately prevailing in overtime during Thursday’s victory over the Knicks. Los Angeles has now won eight straight and 20 of its past 24 games.
As Dave McMenamin of ESPN writes, while Luka Doncic and LeBron James each recorded 30-point double-doubles, both superstars credited the team’s supporting cast for the comeback victory. Gabe Vincent, who was limited to just 11 games last season due to a knee injury, made three three-pointers late in the fourth quarter. Doncic said those timely shots “won the game.”
“It’s part of why I’m here,” Vincent said. “Part of why I’m here is what I’ve done at those moments late in the season. So just try and take the experience I’ve had and built and just try to continue to keep up with winning games.”
The Lakers also received important contributions from rookie forward Dalton Knecht (11 points, four rebounds), starting center Jaxson Hayes (eight points, five rebounds, three assists, two blocks) and backup center Trey Jemison (seven points, four rebounds), McMenamin notes.
“There’s no such thing as non-key players on this team,” James said. “Everybody is key. And everybody who steps on the floor has a role and they go in and match that. And I thought our bench gave us a great lift once again and Gabe was — I’ll single him out — he was spectacular. His play both on the defensive end and obviously his shooting, we needed it.”
Here’s more on the Lakers:
- Jovan Buha and James L. Edwards III of The Athletic share their takeaways from Thursday’s matchup between the Lakers and Knicks. As we relayed in another story, the biggest news from the game was Knicks star Jalen Brunson suffering a right ankle injury in overtime.
- He struggled in the game, going just 2-of-13 from the field in 32 minutes, but it was a positive development that Austin Reaves was able to return from a right calf strain, per Khobi Price of The Southern California News Group. Reaves had missed the past two contests with the injury. “The imaging we got kind of relieved any fears we had,” head coach JJ Redick said before Thursday’s game. “It’s just been more about him feeling comfortable and ready to play. He’s just had an overall great season. He’s been solid – more than solid. He’s been really good through each iteration of this team this season. And I think the more time that him, Bron and Luka could just all be on the court together and get comfortable is good for us going into this home stretch.”
- Although it’s largely a coincidence, since they happened to sign him right when their hot streak began, the Lakers have yet to lose a game in which Jemison has appeared for them in 2024/25, tweets Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report. Jemison, who is on a two-way contract, is a candidate to be promoted to the standard roster, as two-way players aren’t eligible for the postseason. The Lakers are now 13-0 when Jemison plays.
Mark Cuban On Luka Doncic Trade: “Get A Better Deal”
In an exclusive interview with WFFA’s Jonah Javad on Thursday evening (YouTube link), former Mavericks majority owner — and current minority stakeholder — Mark Cuban broke his silence about the shocking decision to trade Luka Doncic to the Lakers.
The full deal saw the Mavericks send Doncic, Markieff Morris and Maxi Kleber to the Lakers, with the Mavericks acquiring Anthony Davis, Max Christie and the Lakers’ 2029 first-round pick. Utah was also involved, receiving a couple of second-round picks (one from L.A., one from Dallas) for taking on the salary of Jalen Hood-Schifino, who was later waived (he is now on a two-way deal with Philadelphia).
Was Cuban upset about the trade?
“Yeah, of course. … If the Mavs are going to trade Luka, that’s one thing. Just get a better deal. … I still firmly believe if we had gotten four unprotected number ones and Anthony Davis and Max Christie, this would be a different conversation.”
Would he have made the trade?
“I’m not going to go there. It doesn’t even matter.”
Cuban confirmed he did not have advanced knowledge of the deal, which has been previously reported.
“I knew five minutes at the most before (it was reported). … From a basketball perspective, you know, I hear about it after the fact, I don’t hear about anything beforehand.”
Is it difficult for him to be out of the loop when he was used to being actively involved in front office decisions?
“Yeah, there are parts that aren’t fun, obviously. Especially this month, or last month. But, you know, they paid for that right.”
Does he regret selling his majority stake in the Mavs?
“Sometimes I get mad (and think) ‘I would have done this.’ But, not really. … I didn’t want my kids to end up in this exact position, at some level, if they made a mistake. Imagine if I didn’t [sell], and my kids had taken over and they made a mistake like this.”
On the team’s struggle to communicate with fans in the aftermath of the trade:
“I think the biggest challenge that the Mavs have right now is there’s nobody who’s really outgoing to communicate. It’s not so much what you do, it’s how you communicate why you do what you do — and that’s their challenge without me in front.”
Has he been consulted by GM Nico Harrison or governor Patrick Dumont since the trade was completed?
“I have not talked to Nico about it. I said hi to Nico twice after the trade.”
The full video interview can be found here, while more transcript highlights can be found on WFFA’s website.
Pelicans’ Trey Murphy Discusses Breakout Season, Zion, More
It has largely been a season to forget for the Pelicans, who hold the fourth-worst record in the NBA in part due to a crushing — and seemingly never-ending — wave of injuries. However, one silver lining has been the standout play of Trey Murphy.
The 24-year-old is posting career highs in virtually every major statistic in 2024/25, including points (21.7), rebounds (5.2), assists (3.8), steals (1.2), blocks (0.7), and minutes (35.6) per game through 46 appearances.
Murphy, who signed a four-year, $112MM rookie scale extension in October (it begins in ’25/26), recently discussed a number of topics in an interview with Mark Medina of Sportskeeda. Here are a few highlights.
On his breakout season:
“I’m just trying to get better. I’m understanding that I’m still young and have a long career ahead of me. I just want to build good habits and develop my game. That’s been the biggest thing this season, especially with all the injuries and stuff like that. Those are things we can’t control. The biggest things we can control now is just developing my game and finding ways to get better. … When guys go down, people feel like they have to elevate their roles. So they have to shoot more. I feel like, especially the last three weeks, that my assist numbers have been going up. We’re seeing different coverages. My threat to score has been the biggest thing for me.”
On his nine-figure contract extension:
“It means a lot. Being able to secure generational wealth is great as well as being able to take care of my family. It shows that they believe in me. It means a lot. So it makes me want to continue to work hard and prove them right on their investment.”
On being encouraged by how Zion Williamson responded following a one-game suspension for reportedly missing a team flight and being late for multiple practices:
“He’s been really good. He’s been really good. I’ve seen a big step from him, maturity-wise. It’s been great to see. … Overall, the biggest thing is that he’s been leading by example. He’s been stepping up defensively and talking. He’s sharing the ball offensively. He’s been a complete player.”
On learning from CJ McCollum:
“CJ is probably the person that I look up to the most when it comes to basketball-related things. When I’m his age, I want to be in the position that he’s in with still being super-efficient and still a pro’s pro and is about his business. He has really shown me a lot about the business on and off the court. I’m very appreciative of him. … With how he carries himself, he’s very about taking care of business and making sure to keep the main thing the main thing.”
Murphy’s interview with Medina also touches on how he and the team have dealt with injuries, his close relationship with Brandon Ingram, and how he’s developing into a vocal leader, among other topics. It’s worth reading in full if you’re a fan of the Pelicans and/or Murphy.
Celtics Notes: Sixers Game, Pritchard, White, Walsh
Tonight’s nationally televised game between Boston and Philadelphia will be lacking in star power. The Celtics (Twitter links) have ruled out Jaylen Brown (right knee posterior impingement), Al Horford (left big toe sprain) and Kristaps Porzingis (illness), while Jrue Holiday remains sidelined with a broken finger on his right hand (mallet finger).
Both Jayson Tatum (right shoulder impingement) and Sam Hauser (right ankle sprain) are questionable to suit up, per the team.
The banged-up Sixers, who have already lost Joel Embiid, Jared McCain and Eric Gordon for the season, will be without Paul George this evening due to left groin soreness, Shams Charania of ESPN reports (via Twitter). George, who has battled a variety of injuries in 2024/25, was previously listed as questionable.
Tyrese Maxey (lower back sprain) and Kyle Lowry (right hip injury management) are also out for the 76ers, while Justin Edwards is questionable with a left ankle sprain, according to the league’s latest injury report.
Thursday is the second end of a back-to-back for Boston; Philadelphia last played on Tuesday.
Here’s more on the Celtics:
- Guards Payton Pritchard and Derrick White made history in Wednesday’s 10-point victory over Portland, writes Kyle Hightower of The Associated Press. In addition to becoming the first Celtics duo to score 40-plus points in the same game, they also became the first tandem in NBA history to each make at least nine three-pointers in the same contest. Both players set career highs in points and threes made, with Pritchard (43 and 10) slightly edging White (41 and nine). They were both extremely efficient — Pritchard shot 14-of-20 and chipped in 10 rebounds and five assists in 43 minutes, while White was 14-of-26 and also had three rebounds, two assists, three steals and a block. Remarkably, they only combined for one turnover.
- Second-year forward Jordan Walsh was a surprise contributor in yesterday’s win, notes Brian Robb of MassLive. The 21-year-old has only averaged 8.0 minutes per game in 41 appearances this season, but he matched a season high by playing 21 minutes against the Blazers. As Robb writes, Walsh hadn’t played at all in three of the five games leading up to Wednesday’s contest, in part due to the signing of veteran Torrey Craig. However, Walsh was ahead of Craig on the depth chart yesterday and got an opportunity for playing time with Tatum, Porzingis and Holiday out.
- After the game, head coach Joe Mazzulla explained Walsh’s increased workload. He finished with three points and six rebounds. “Just with guys out, opportunity is there,” Mazzulla said, per Robb. “His ability to defend in individual defense, these guys do a great job of breaking guys down, and he’s really gotten better at that, and we needed someone who offensive rebounds. I think he got two big ones in the first half, I think he ended up with one more there, so just continuing to get better. It’s an opportunity to get him out there and make sure he continues to grow defensively and rebounding.”
Raptors Provide Injury Updates On Ingram, Several Others
Former All-Star forward Brandon Ingram has yet to make his Raptors debut after being acquired in a trade with New Orleans ahead of last month’s deadline. He has been sidelined since December 7, when he suffered a “significant” left ankle sprain.
While Ingram has been able to increase his on-court activity in recent days, he’s still limited to solo work, with no timeline for his return to games or practices, the team announced today (Twitter link via Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca). The next update on Ingram, who signed a three-year, $120MM extension with Toronto shortly after the trade, will come in two weeks.
As Lewenberg relays (via Twitter), the Raptors also provided injury updates on several other players on Thursday afternoon. Third-year wing Ochai Agbaji, who sprained his left ankle last week vs. Chicago, is no longer in a walking boot and will ramp up his activity, but he has yet to resume practicing. Agbaji will be eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason.
Rookie big man Jonathan Mogbo sustained a nasal fracture on Tuesday against Orlando and will miss at least one week. The former San Francisco star will wear a mask for the remainder of the 2024/25 season, tweets Lindsay Dunn of CityNews Toronto. As we noted a couple days ago, second-year guard Gradey Dick will be out at least two weeks due to a right knee injury.
On a more positive note, rookie sharpshooter Jamison Battle will be active going forward after missing the past five games with a broken nose. Veteran wing Garrett Temple is also back with the Raptors after being away from the team due to personal reasons.
Mavs’ Alex Jensen To Become Univ. Of Utah’s Head Coach
Veteran NBA assistant coach Alex Jensen, who is currently employed by the Mavericks, has agreed to a contract to become the new men’s head coach at the University of Utah, sources tell Jeff Borzello and Pete Thamel of ESPN.
Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports reported a couple days ago that Jensen had emerged as one of the top candidates for the school’s head coaching vacancy. He will replace Craig Smith, who was fired last month after nearly four seasons at the helm.
Jensen, 46, is a Utah native who starred in college for the Utes, having been named the Mountain West Conference Player of the Year back in 1999/2000. He was a starter for the team that advanced to the final of the 1998 NCAA Tournament, ultimately losing to Kentucky.
Jensen got his first coaching job under his former head coach, Rick Majerus, at the University of Saint Louis. After four seasons with the Billikens, Jensen transitioned to the NBA, spending 10 years as an assistant with the Jazz. He has been with the Mavericks since 2023.
According to NBA insider Marc Stein (Twitter link), Jensen is “well-liked” by the Mavericks and will likely have an opportunity to finish out the ’24/25 season in Dallas. Either way, Jensen will be joining the Utes at some point in the near future.
Remix’s Isaac Nogues To Enter 2025 NBA Draft
Spanish guard Isaac Nogues, who has been playing in the G League this season with Portland’s affiliate, the Rip City Remix, is submitting the paperwork necessary to enter the 2025 NBA draft, he tells Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).
As Fischer observes, it’s rare for a player to declare for the draft in the middle of a season, but evidently the 21-year-old feels confident about his chances of being selected. He’s not currently listed on ESPN’s latest big board (Insider link), which ranks the top 100 prospects ahead of June’s draft.
According to Fischer, Nogues is known as a defensive specialist — he recently set an NBAGL record by recording 10 steals in a game.
“I can defend a lot of positions,” Nogues told Fischer. “Not only the point guard. Not only the best player. I can defend all 48 minutes of the game. I can give 100% of my energy on defense. This really helps any team.”
The 6’5″ guard has appeared in 33 combined games with the Remix in 2024/25, averaging 2.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.8 steals in 18.9 minutes per contest. He has attempted just 1.8 field goals per night, with a shooting line of .458/.294/.474, and he acknowledges his game is a work in progress on that end of the floor.
“My offensive skills, I will improve,” he insists. “I am improving.”
Southwest Notes: Morant, VanVleet, Rockets, Brown, Martin
Grizzlies guard Ja Morant has been fined $25K by the NBA for throwing a game ball into the spectator stands at the end of the third quarter of Friday’s one-point loss to New York, the league announced in a press release.
Morant made some poor off-court decisions earlier in his career, which resulted in a pair of suspensions (including a 25-gamer) in 2023. However, he has largely stayed out of trouble since — this is the first time he has been publicly fined in 2024/25, though he has been docked $24K for accruing 11 technical fouls this season, per Spotrac.
A two-time All-Star, Morant missed Saturday’s loss to San Antonio due to right shoulder soreness and is questionable for Monday’s game vs. Atlanta with the same injury designation, according to the NBA’s official injury report.
Here’s more from the Southwest:
- Saturday’s loss to Sacramento marked Fred VanVleet‘s first game back with the Rockets following a month-long absence due to a right ankle strain. Unfortunately, he aggravated the ankle on the first play of the game when he stepped on a referee’s foot, according to Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle. The veteran guard stayed in the game and wound up playing 35 minutes, but his effectiveness was limited, as he finished with just three points on 1-of-8 shooting in 35 minutes (he also chipped in five rebounds, five assists and three steals). “I’ve been sitting long enough,” VanVleet said. “I had the training staff look at it, make sure it was nothing super serious, talked with coach a little bit. Obviously he noticed I wasn’t moving the best, so I was just trusting him at that point. If he decided to pull me I would’ve came out, but I wasn’t gonna take myself out the game. I’ll never do that.”
- As Lerner relays in another story, VanVleet has been ruled out of Monday’s contest at Oklahoma City. Five other Rockets — Steven Adams (sore left ankle), Dillon Brooks (right knee contusion), Tari Eason (left leg injury management), Alperen Sengun (sore lower back) and Amen Thompson (right shoulder soreness) — are questionable for Monday’s game, which is the front end of a back-to-back.
- After playing a limited role in his first three games with the Mavericks, center Moses Brown provided a major lift in the final two contests of his 10-day contract, including recording 20 points, 11 rebounds, three steals and two blocks in 31 minutes during a victory over Charlotte last week. Brown’s contract expired Saturday night and the Mavs can’t re-sign him or anyone else until April 10 due to their hard cap situation. “He was great,” head coach Jason Kidd said of Brown, per Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal. “Moses gave us a spark, gave us a big (presence) at the rim. We needed someone at the rim, and he did a really good job for us. He’ll probably get another 10-day from someone. And give him credit for coming out as a pro and helping us find a way to win.”
- Caleb Martin has yet to make his Mavericks debut after being acquired at the trade deadline, but he has been able to go through contract practices in recent days and sounds close to returning from the right hip strain that has kept him out on the shelf since January 10, writes Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. “He’s doing extremely well,” Kidd said of Martin. “There are a lot of positive things around him right now. He’s trending in the right direction. Hopefully here in the next couple of days, we have some really good news. His rehab sessions have been going really good and he hasn’t had any setbacks. With the playing that he’s had here, hopefully he’s back sooner than later.”