Dallas Mavericks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Anthony Davis Expected To Play Tonight

March 24th, 2025 at 4:23pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Anthony Davis is expected to play tonight when the Mavericks face Brooklyn on the road, NBA insider Marc Stein tweets.

Davis has missed 18 games since he suffered a left adductor strain in his Dallas debut on Feb. 8. Assuming Davis plays, he will sit out the second game of a back-to-back when the Mavericks face the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday.

Davis made a splashy debut with the Mavericks, racking up 26 points, 16 rebounds, seven assists and three blocks in 31 minutes before the injury occurred. Davis has been ramping up in recent weeks, practicing multiple times with the Texas Legends in the G League.

Davis’ return will provide a big boost to Dallas, which has been ravaged by injuries, including Kyrie Irving‘s season-ending torn ACL. The Mavericks are still very much in the running for a play-in berth — they’re currently tied with the Suns for 10th place in the standings at 34-37. The ninth-place Kings, who are 35-35, are also within reach of the Mavs.

Dallas has gone 6-12 without the perennial All-Star big man. Davis is averaging 25.7 points, 12.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.1 blocks over 43 games this season. He was, of course, the centerpiece for Dallas in the controversial Luka Doncic blockbuster with the Lakers.

Injury Notes: Sabonis, Davis, Maxey, Walker, Harden

March 24th, 2025 at 11:07am CST by Luke Adams

The Kings announced on March 18 that center Domantas Sabonis, who was diagnosed with a moderate right ankle sprain, would be reevaluated in 10 days. However, just six days later, Sacramento has listed Sabonis as questionable to play on Monday vs. Boston.

As Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee writes, the Kings announced that Sabonis has made significant progress in his recovery from the ankle sprain and fully participated in Sunday’s practice. It seems possible that an injury initially expected to sideline the big man for at least six games might only cost him three. Teammate Malik Monk predicted that outcome on the night Sabonis injured his ankle last Monday.

“It looked pretty bad,” Monk told reporters at the time. “But Domas (is) strong. He’ll probably be back sooner than we think.”

If Sabonis is able to return sooner rather than later, it would bode well for his potential end-of-season award eligibility — he needs to play at least 20 minutes in seven of the Kings’ remaining 12 contests to meet the requirements for the NBA’s 65-game rule. Sacramento also remains in the midst of a battle for a play-in spot. At 35-35, the team is ninth in the Western Conference standings, 1.5 games ahead of the Suns and Mavericks, who have matching 34-37 records.

Here are a few more injury notes from around the NBA:

The Mavericks have upgraded big man Anthony Davis from doubtful to questionable for Monday’s game in Brooklyn, tweets Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal. NBA insider Marc Stein previously reported that Davis was targeting Tuesday’s game in New York for his return from an adductor strain. I wouldn’t expect the Mavs star to play both ends of the back-to-back set, but it certainly sounds as if he could be back in action either today or tomorrow.
There had been a belief that Tyrese Maxey (lower back sprain/finger sprain) might return on the Sixers‘ current road trip, but it doesn’t appear that will happen after all. The trip will wrap up in New Orleans on Monday and head coach Nick Nurse said on Sunday that he wasn’t expecting to have Maxey back for that game, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. “I do expect him back (before the end of the season),” Nurse said. “But I don’t think he’s going to make it for today or tomorrow, I’ve been told.”
Sixers guard Lonnie Walker, who missed four games while in the concussion protocol, had to depart his first game back on Friday due to a headache. He sat out Sunday and the expectation is that he’ll miss Monday’s game too. “He just didn’t feel great,” Nurse said on Sunday, per Pompey. “And they just wanted to, with an abundance of caution, pull him back out of there. So they are going to take a look at him. He’ll be out tonight and tomorrow for sure. Then we will see where we go from there.”
After injuring his foot in the third quarter of Sunday’s loss to Oklahoma City, James Harden was able to finish the game, but the ailment seemed to be affecting him down the stretch and in the locker room afterward, writes Law Murray of The Athletic. Harden was playing some of his best basketball of the season as of late, having averaged 29.2 points per game with a .396 3PT% in the Clippers‘ last nine outings (including eight wins) entering Sunday, so the team will be holding its breath as it evaluates his foot, Murray notes.

Mavericks Notes: Brunson, Davis, Gafford, Shammgod

March 24th, 2025 at 8:18am CST by Luke Adams

While last month’s Luka Doncic trade has since overshadowed it, the Mavericks‘ mishandling of Jalen Brunson‘s contract situation back in 2022 still looms large over the franchise, Stefan Bondy of The New York Post writes ahead of the Mavs’ visit to New York on Tuesday.

Tim MacMahon of ESPN also revisits the Brunson contract saga in Dallas, sharing an excerpt from his new book ‘The Wonder Boy’ about how the Mavericks’ unwillingness to offer the guard a four-year, $55.6MM contract when they were first eligible to do so cost them a chance to retain the budding star at a bargain price through 2026. According to MacMahon, while that $55.6MM extension was the maximum deal Brunson could have received entering the 2021/22 season, he would’ve been open to accepting even a little less than that, perhaps $50MM over four years.

However, the Mavericks reportedly didn’t offer Brunson an extension before the season and then didn’t put his max extension on the table until February 2022, at which point he had outplayed it. When the guard reached unrestricted free agency later that year, Dallas had the ability to tack on a fifth year to its offer or simply to outbid the Knicks‘ four-year, $104MM proposal, but did neither, allowing him to leave for New York.

“I tell you this, this is a conversation we had,” Brunson’s father Rick Brunson told MacMahon. “If Dallas offers the same money or more, I don’t know if he leaves. Come with the money. Make it hard! You didn’t. You made it easy.”

Here’s more on the Mavs:

Tuesday’s game in New York or Thursday’s contest in Orlando have emerged as the target dates for Anthony Davis‘ return from his adductor strain, reports NBA insider Marc Stein (Twitter link). Stein said over the weekend that there’s increasing optimism about the possibility of Davis, who has been out since February 8, playing during this road trip. He’s listed as doubtful for Monday’s matchup with the Nets in Brooklyn.
Daniel Gafford, who is recovering from a right knee sprain, spoke to MavsTV about his experience practicing with the Texas Legends in the G League on Friday, as Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal relays (via Twitter). “Practice was good — getting a lot of range of motion in the knee, getting my body right, and getting my cardio back,” Gafford said. “I’ve got to get the lungs going again, get the leg conditioning back, just working through everything. But everything went well (on Friday). It was just another step in the process and the progress, trying to get back on the floor with the guys. Good vibes, great atmosphere, great attitude — just trying to get better and feel better too.”
Mavericks point guard Spencer Dinwiddie said the team is just hoping to stay afloat until its injured players – especially Davis – start to return, according to Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. “I think it’s just trying to keep the pulse, the heartbeat going, waiting on obviously the big dogs to get back,” Dinwiddie said. “That’s all we’re trying to do right now. … It’s a hold-down-the-fort mentality. Stay in striking distance. You get a top-75 guy back. Who knows what can happen?”
Christian Clark of The Athletic takes a look at the impact that assistant coach God Shammgod has had in Dallas, including on Kyrie Irving. “I feel like he’s just one of my uncles just from Harlem, New York, that’s there to give me a little s–t when I need it, but be honest all the time,” Irving said of Shammgod.

Anthony Davis Could Return During Mavs’ Upcoming Road Trip

March 22nd, 2025 at 12:26pm CST by Luke Adams

There’s increasing optimism that Mavericks big man Anthony Davis will have a chance to return to action during the team’s upcoming four-game road trip, reports NBA insider Marc Stein (Substack link).

Davis, who has been sidelined by an adductor strain since his Mavs debut on February 8, practiced with the Texas Legends in the G League multiple times this week and got through those sessions without experiencing any setbacks. As Stein relays, head coach Jason Kidd said last night that it was a “positive day” on Friday for Davis and fellow injured big men Dereck Lively and Daniel Gafford, who also practiced with the Legends.

While Kidd said there’s “no timetable” for any of them to return, he expressed hope about having all three centers back this season, and Stein suggests Davis is the furthest along of the three in his recovery process. He has advanced to 5-on-5 play, while Lively and Gafford have reportedly only done 3-on-3 work.

The Mavericks’ four-game Eastern Conference swing will begin on Monday in Brooklyn and also includes stops in New York (Tuesday), Orlando (Thursday), and Chicago (next Saturday). Stein, who previously reported that Davis is “very eager” to resume playing, suggests it’s possible we could see him in one or more of those games.

There had been speculation following Davis’ adductor injury that the Mavericks may simply shut him down for the rest of the season and focus on 2025/26, especially after Kyrie Irving suffered a torn ACL. However, there was never any indication from Dallas that the team was seriously considering that route, especially with a postseason berth still within reach.

Although they sit at No. 11 in the Western Conference right now, the Mavericks are tied with the No. 10 Suns at 34-37 and are just two games back of the No. 9 Kings (35-34). Even without Irving, an otherwise healthy version of this Mavs team could cause problems for opponents in the postseason, and making or missing the play-in tournament is unlikely to significantly impact their draft position.

Western Notes: Bogdanovic, Durant, Rockets, Mavs, Nuggets

March 21st, 2025 at 8:29pm CST by Luke Adams

Veteran guard Bogdan Bogdanovic was having the worst year of his NBA career in Atlanta this season, averaging 10.0 points per game on 37.1% shooting (30.1% on three-pointers). He has looked more like his usual self since being traded to Los Angeles, bumping his scoring average to 12.6 PPG while making 48.5% of his shots from the floor (and 40.0% of his threes).

Bogdanovic has emerged as an X-factor for the Clippers, writes Janis Carr of The Orange County Register, due to his ability to read the floor, his decision-making, and the way he complements star guard James Harden.

“Bogey, him coming to our team really gave us a shot in the arm and helped us out in all of those areas,” assistant coach Brian Shaw said. “(His) spacing, being able to handle the ball takes some of the pressure off of James … and then when we want to seek out mismatches, they have to account for him out on the three-point line and that leaves the paint and everything open.”

Bogdanovic has a guaranteed $16MM salary for next season and a $16MM team option for 2026/27, so he won’t simply be a rental for his new team.

We have more from around the Western Conference:

Within a mailbag for SI.com, veteran NBA reporter Chris Mannix says he thinks Suns forward Kevin Durant would like to end up with with the Rockets this summer. While Mannix makes it clear that’s just his opinion, John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link) notes that he shares that opinion. Houston controls a handful of Phoenix’s draft picks, making the two teams an obvious match, but the question is how much interest the Rockets would have in giving up significant assets for a player who will be 37 next season — past reports have suggested they’ve sought to complement their young core with a more “age-appropriate” star.
The Mavericks held Kessler Edwards out of their game against Detroit on Friday, as Tim MacMahon of ESPN tweets. Edwards, who is on a two-way contract, can only be active once more and Dallas didn’t want to burn his last game quite yet, so he’ll join the team on its upcoming road trip. Another two-way player, Brandon Williams, is active for the Mavs on Friday and will have just four active games of his own left after tonight (Twitter link).
Bennett Durando addresses a series of Nuggets-related topics in a mailbag for The Denver Post, exploring what the team’s playoff rotation might look like, discussing the latest on Aaron Gordon‘s nagging calf injury, and evaluating who’s to blame for Denver’s subpar defensive play.

Kings’ Isaac Jones Reaches Active Game Limit

March 21st, 2025 at 2:20pm CST by Rory Maher

Rookie big man Isaac Jones, who is on a two-way contract with the Kings, has been active for the maximum of 50 NBA games this season and is no longer eligible to play for Sacramento in 2024/25, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN.

Jones reached the 50-game limit in Wednesday’s victory over Cleveland when he played four minutes. He has appeared in 31 games this season and been active for 19 more, averaging 3.7 points and 1.5 rebounds in 8.3 minutes per contest.

Although he ultimately wasn’t selected, Jones was among the players who boosted their stocks with strong performances in last year’s pre-draft process. The former Washington State standout quickly reached an agreement on a two-way deal with the Kings shortly after going undrafted.

As Marks notes (via Twitter), Jones can continue to practice with the Kings, but he won’t be able to play again unless his two-way contract is converted to a standard deal. A report back in January suggested that Jones was a candidate to be promoted if the Kings still had openings on their standard roster after the trade deadline, and they do — they’re tentatively carrying 14 players, with Terry Taylor on a 10-day contract that runs through March 27.

Jones, who was named to the NBA G League’s Up Next event at All-Star weekend, has also appeared in 15 total games this season with the Stockton Kings. His role has been more significant at the G League level, averaging 21.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.0 steal and 1.0 block on .567/.300/.745 shooting in 32.3 minutes per contest.

Several other players on two-way contracts are also nearing their active game limits, according to Marks. Kessler Edwards (one) and Brandon Williams (five) of the Mavericks, Hornets wing Wendell Moore (five) and Sixers guard Jeff Dowtin (five) will soon be ineligible to appear in NBA games. All three of the Lakers’ two-way players — Jordan Goodwin (three), Trey Jemison (eight) and Christian Koloko (nine) — are close to their limits as well, as we noted on Thursday.

Players on two-way contracts are ineligible for the postseason, including the play-in tournament.

Mavericks’ Davis, Lively, Gafford To Practice In NBAGL

March 21st, 2025 at 12:08pm CST by Rory Maher

The Mavericks assigned a trio of injured big men to their G League affiliate on Friday, announcing (via Twitter) that Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively and Daniel Gafford will be heading to the Texas Legends.

According to Dallas-based NBA insider Marc Stein (Twitter links), Davis will be going through his second round of 5-on-5 practice with the Legends, while Lively and Gafford are expected to start with a 3-on-3 session.

Davis first practiced with Dallas’ affiliate team on Monday, though head coach Jason Kidd later cautioned that the star forward/center had to clear additional hurdles before he’s able to play again. Davis has been out since February 8, when he sustained a left adductor strain in his Mavericks debut.

Second-year center Lively is recovering from a right ankle stress fracture that has kept him on the shelf since January 14. He has been doing individual on-court work in recent weeks.

Gafford was set to be reevaluated today after suffering a Grade 3 MCL sprain in his right knee on February 10. Evidently that examination went well, as Gafford will be practicing today for the first time in nearly six weeks.

Stein reported a couple weeks ago that Davis and Lively were on track to be healthy before the end of the season, though it wasn’t clear if they’d actually play again in 2024/25. A subsequent report stated there have been no indications the Mavs plan to shut down any of Davis, Lively or Gafford while they remain in postseason contention.

Amid a devastating wave of injuries, the Mavericks have dropped four straight and 11 of their past 13 games. At 33-37, Dallas is currently the No. 11 seed in the West. The Mavs have the same record as Phoenix, but the Suns control the head-to-head tiebreaker and thus the No. 10 seed.

Anthony Davis Has Strong Practice With G League Team

March 19th, 2025 at 6:20pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Mavericks were encouraged by Anthony Davis‘ first practice session with their G League affiliate, tweets Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. However, coach Jason Kidd cautioned that Davis still has a long way to go in his recovery from a left adductor strain. “He’s trending in the right place,” Kidd said. “He had a positive experience in the practice. He’ll continue to do things this week. Hopefully the outcome continues to be positive. A lot of good things, but he’s still some time away for him being in a game.”

Mavs Notes: Edwards, Martin, Smith, Davis, Hardy, Jones

March 19th, 2025 at 11:00am CST by Luke Adams

Mavericks forward Kessler Edwards, who is on a two-way contract with the team, wasn’t expected to play a whole lot at the NBA level this season. However, due to all the injuries in Dallas, Edwards has been thrust into a key role in recent weeks.

The 24-year-old has started 13 of the club’s past 16 games, primarily at center, and has acquitted himself well as a small-ball five. In his past six outings, he has averaged 12.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game, with a shooting line of .558/.556/.900. According to Edwards, adjusting to a new role hasn’t been overwhelming.

“I think just IQ is the main thing—learning how to play not only with these guys, but within the certain role they have me in,” Edwards told Grant Afseth of Sportskeeda. “Just knowing what to do with the ball, how to play in different ways, and learning how to make the right decisions on the floor.”

As important as Edwards has become in Dallas, the clock is ticking on his ability to play at the NBA level. He’s just two games from reaching the limit of 50 active games for two-way players. Promoting him to the standard 15-man roster would make him eligible to play in every remaining game, including potential play-in contests, but that won’t be an option for the Mavericks until April 10 due to their hard-cap restrictions.

“Honestly, I try not to think about that too much,” Edwards said of his fast-approaching 50-game limit. “I’m just thankful for the games I’ve been able to play with this group. I’m just thankful for that opportunity.”

Here’s more on the Mavericks:

The Caleb Martin/Quentin Grimes trade hasn’t worked out so far for the Mavericks, as Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News details. Grimes has been playing some of the best basketball of his life in Philadelphia, while Martin has been limited to just five appearances for Dallas due to ongoing hip issues. According to Curtis, Martin is still trying to make an impact from the bench when he’s not available, calling attention to trends and defensive schemes. “I’ve always been the type that if I see something, I say something,” Martin said. “I just feel like that’s a way I can impact the game, whether I’m playing or not.”
Speaking to Grant Afseth for RG.org, former NBA first-round pick Zhaire Smith expressed gratitude for the opportunity he has gotten with the Texas Legends, noting that they’ve “welcomed me with open arms.” In addition to discussing his experience with the Mavericks’ G League affiliate, Smith talked about scrimmaging alongside Mavs players rehabbing from injuries, including Anthony Davis. “I think we’re going to do it again sometime this week,” Smith said, indicating that another brief G League assignment could be in store for Davis.
The Mavs could have as many as 10 players available on Wednesday in Indiana. In addition to their seven healthy players, they’ve listed Jaden Hardy (right ankle sprain), Kai Jones (left quad strain), and Brandon Williams (left hamstring tightness) as questionable to play. Marc Stein reported earlier this week that Hardy and Jones, both of whom have missed seven consecutive games, have a chance to return on Wednesday.
While this is just my speculation, it wouldn’t be a shock if the Mavericks hold Williams out of tonight’s game if both Hardy and Jones are able to suit up. That would allow the team to avoid using up another of Williams’ active games — he only has five remaining on his two-way contract.

Southwest Notes: Thompson, Popovich, Grizzlies, Jensen

March 18th, 2025 at 1:15pm CST by Luke Adams

Rockets wing Amen Thompson is making progress in his recovery from an ankle sprain and could return to action as soon as this Friday, head coach Ime Udoka said on Monday, per Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required).

According to Udoka, Thompson will travel with the team on its two-game road trip to Orlando on Wednesday and Miami on Friday and has “one more hurdle to pass” before he’s cleared to return — he’s still not taking full contact.

“If he does that, could be Miami, could be when we get back (from the road trip),” Udoka said. “Swelling has gone down, pain’s gone down. Flexibility, mobility has gone up, and he’s just got to go through a contact portion. Once he does that we’re going to see how he reacts to that and he’ll be good to go after. So hopefully, sooner than later.”

Thompson, who has missed Houston’s past five games, is enjoying a second-year breakout, with averages of 14.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game in 60 outings (33 starts) this season.

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

In an in-depth feature story for ESPN.com, Ramona Shelburne and Michael C. Wright take a behind-the-scenes look at Gregg Popovich‘s recovery from the stroke he suffered in the fall, noting that it remains up in the air whether the longtime Spurs head coach will return to the sidelines next season. “It’s Pop’s decision,” a source close to the situation told ESPN. “He’s earned that.”
The Grizzlies fell to Sacramento on Monday despite getting 44 points from Desmond Bane, just three days after losing to Cleveland in a game in which Ja Morant scored 44 of his own. As Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal writes, the team’s top three offensive scorers – Morant, Bane, and Jaren Jackson Jr., who had 31 in Saturday’s win – are all playing well recently, but the challenge for the Grizzlies will be to have them all available and get them all going at the same time. Morant has missed the past two games due to shoulder and hamstring issues.
Mavericks assistant coach Alex Jensen, who has been hired as the University of Utah’s new head coach, explained on Monday that he feels like finishing the season in Dallas is “the right thing to do,” even though it might make it “a little more difficult” to build out his Utes staff. John Coon of The Associated Press has the story and the quotes from Jensen.