Dallas Mavericks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Southwest Notes: Morant, Hardy, Jones, Rockets, Spurs

March 17th, 2025 at 4:39pm CST by Luke Adams

Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant has been playing some of his best basketball of the season this month, averaging 31.3 points per game on 52.4% shooting in his past six outings. However, the two-time All-Star continues to be bothered by nagging injuries.

After missing Saturday’s win over Miami due to right shoulder soreness, which has been a recurring issue this season, Morant has been ruled out of the Grizzlies’ contest in Sacramento on Monday due to left hamstring soreness, tweets Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. It will be the 26th game that Morant missed this season and the fifth time that he has been sidelined for multiple consecutive games.

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

The banged-up Mavericks could get some injury reinforcements soon, according to NBA insider Marc Stein (Twitter link). Stein has heard that Jaden Hardy (right ankle sprain) and Kai Jones (left quad strain) are “in contention” to be activated for Wednesday’s game in Indiana. Hardy and Anthony Davis have been recalled from the G League after being assigned to the Texas Legends earlier today to practice (Twitter link).
Kelly Iko and Danny Leroux of The Athletic take a closer look at the Rockets‘ cap situation, exploring what the team might do this offseason with Fred VanVleet, whose contract includes a $44.9MM team option for 2025/26. Turning down that option and signing VanVleet to a new multiyear deal with a smaller first-year salary might be in the best interests of the Rockets while also benefiting VanVleet, who is 31 years old and may not have many more chances to earn a significant payday.
The Spurs will be without their top two players – Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox – for the rest of the season, but acting head coach Mitch Johnson doesn’t intend to use injuries as an excuse as his team has slid down the standings to No. 13 in the West. “I don’t think it’s bad luck. I think it’s the league,” Johnson said of the Spurs’ health issues, per Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. “Twenty-five teams are probably going through this. … Every now and then you have a team that has one of those years and kind of stays healthy, no unexpected circumstances. We have had stuff this year. So have a lot of teams we’ve played. No one cares. No one feels sorry for you.”

Anthony Davis To Begin Practicing With G League Team

March 17th, 2025 at 11:08am CST by Arthur Hill

The Mavericks have assigned Anthony Davis and Jaden Hardy to their G League affiliate, the Texas Legends. The team wants Davis to get some five-on-five work as he prepares for a possible return to action, explains Tim MacMahon of ESPN (Twitter link).

Davis will practice today and is “very eager” about the prospect of playing again sometime this season, league sources tell NBA insider Marc Stein (Twitter link). However, the decision to bring back Davis hasn’t been made yet because of the risk of aggravating his injury, Stein adds.

Davis was the centerpiece of the controversial deal that sent Luka Doncic to the Lakers shortly before the trade deadline. Davis got off to a promising start in Dallas, but he suffered a left adductor strain in the third quarter of his February 8 debut and hasn’t been able to play since then.

Head coach Jason Kidd said recently that Davis “continues to trend in the right direction,” and this is further evidence that his comeback may not be far away. The Mavericks badly need reinforcements as they had just eight active players for Sunday’s loss to Philadelphia, and their two-way players are nearing the end of their eligibility.

Davis was in the midst of another exceptional season in L.A. before the trade, averaging 25.7 points, 11.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game while shooting 52.8% from the field. He was selected to the All-Star Game for the 10th time, although he wasn’t able to play because of a previous injury.

Hardy, a third-year shooting guard, has been sidelined since March 3 because of a right ankle sprain. He’ll provide another long-distance threat for the Mavericks whenever he’s able to return, as he’s averaging 8.0 PPG and shooting 38.4% from three-point range.

Having Davis and Hardy back would greatly improve Dallas’ chances of holding onto 10th place in the West and earning a spot in the postseason. The Mavs have lost three straight games and eight of their last nine and lead 11th-place Phoenix by just a game and a half.

P.J. Washington Calls For End To ‘Fire Nico’ Chants

March 17th, 2025 at 8:04am CST by Arthur Hill

P.J. Washington defended embattled general manager Nico Harrison during the Mavericks‘ Sunday afternoon game against Philadelphia, according to Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. “Fire Nico” chants have been a regular occurrence at American Airlines Center since Harrison made the controversial decision to trade franchise cornerstone Luka Doncic to the Lakers last month.

When a fan yelled out that phrase as Washington stepped to the foul line in the third quarter, he sank the first free throw and shot back, “Shut yo ass up!” After the game, Washington explained why he believes why the fan base needs to move beyond its focus on the Doncic deal.

“At the end of the day, the trades happened,” he said. “We understand we have a new team now. All that ‘Fire Nico’ stuff, we’re sick and tired of hearing it. We just want to go out there and play and we need the fans to support us no matter who’s on the floor. That’s just how I feel about it.”

The Mavericks’ season has been a disaster ever since the trade was announced in early February, with a string of injuries leaving them barely able to field a roster. They were at the NBA’s eight-man minimum for Sunday’s loss to the Sixers, who also had a makeshift lineup consisting largely of players on two-way contracts and 10-day deals because of their own injury situation.

The loss was the third in a row for Dallas and the eighth in its last nine games. Despite the long downturn, the Mavs are still clinging to the final play-in spot in the West, holding a game-and-a-half lead over Phoenix and a three-and-a-half-game advantage over Portland and San Antonio.

Max Christie, who was acquired from L.A. in the Doncic trade, declined to directly address Washington’s comments, Curtis adds, but he talked to reporters about how the players are able to tune out their surroundings and concentrate on the game.

“We’re professionals and our job is to come out here and perform regardless of the circumstances that we’re in,” Christie said. “We get paid a lot of money just to play basketball. For us, we have little things like that that may be distracting and whatnot. It shouldn’t affect us. We’re professionals. We’re the best at what we do in this sport. Distractions are going to be there and we have to be able to move forward and move past them and not let it affect us.”

Things may get worse for the Mavericks, who are rapidly running out of personnel because of their recent reliance on two-way players with limited eligibility remaining. Kessler Edwards, who started at center on Sunday, can only be on the active roster for two more games, while starting point guard Brandon Williams is down to five.

The team suffered a major blow on Friday when Dante Exum broke a bone in his left hand that may keep him out for the rest of the season. There’s still hope that injured big men Anthony Davis, Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively will be able to return at some point, but there’s no set timetable for any of them.

Hard cap restrictions will prevent the team from filling an opening on its 15-man roster until April 10. That’s the day after Doncic will return to Dallas with the Lakers in what’s sure to be an emotional reunion.

The only good news on Sunday was the return of Washington, who missed more than two weeks with a sprained ankle. He posted 29 points and 12 rebounds in 32 minutes and said he feels “back to normal,” Curtis states in a separate story.

“I’m just happy to be back,” Washington said. “I woke up early this morning just excited to play. Definitely happy that I’m back healthy.”

Injury Notes: Washington, Ball, Thybulle, Kaminsky

March 16th, 2025 at 10:12am CST by Rory Maher

Mavericks forward P.J. Washington is not listed on the injury report ahead of Sunday’s game vs. Philadelphia, so he appears on track to return after missing the past seven games with a right ankle sprain, tweets Christian Clark of The Athletic.

It’s certainly welcome news for Dallas, which has been absolutely devastated by injuries over the past several weeks. Even with Washington back, the Mavs will still be shorthanded, as Kyrie Irving (torn ACL), Olivier-Maxence Prosper (wrist surgery), Dante Exum (broken hand), Anthony Davis (left adductor strain), Dereck Lively (right ankle stress fracture) and Daniel Gafford (right knee sprain) are out.

Jaden Hardy is doubtful for Sunday’s game as he continues to deal with a right ankle sprain, while Kai Jones (left quad strain) and Caleb Martin (left hip strain) are questionable. Brandon Williams, who is on a two-way deal, is probable with left hamstring tightness, per the league’s official injury report.

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

Bulls guard Lonzo Ball missed 15 games earlier in 2024/25 due to a right wrist injury. He reinjured the wrist at the end of February, causing him to miss the past seven games, and he’ll likely miss at least five more, as he didn’t travel with the team during its West Coast trip, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. “I haven’t heard anything about him being shut down,” head coach Billy Donovan said Saturday. “I think what he’s doing right now is just trying to get himself back to playing. Doctors aren’t saying, ‘Hey, listen, you gotta sit out.’ It’s just when he feels that he can do things on the court that he’s comfortable with. Like he can’t shoot right now, hasn’t been able to do that . . . passing and dribbling. Until that subsides, then he’ll be out, but I think he, in my conversations with him, it’s been everything to try to get back to playing. No one has said to me from above, ‘Hey, this goes on a little longer, we’re going to have him shut down.’ I have not heard that.”
Trail Blazers wing Matisse Thybulle underwent a procedure in October, just before the start of the regular season, to address inflammation in his right knee. It wasn’t supposed to sideline him for a significant period, but he sustained a bad right ankle sprain in late November during his ramp-up process, which set back his recovery. “I’ve talked to so many people about it now, and the overarching sentiment is that with ankle sprains this bad, sometimes it’s better to just break it than to sprain it,” Thybulle said, per Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report (Substack link). “Because the recovery time with all the ligaments that were torn takes so long. With a bone, it can just heal back up and it’s just as strong. It was a whole process. And then to have it happen in conjunction with a different injury … You start with the knee, and then hurt the ankle as bad as I did, and have those things be married as one giant injury to be dealt with. It made it quite the process.” Thybulle was technically active for the first time this season on Wednesday vs. New York, but he didn’t end up playing. Head coach Chauncey Billups said the two-time All-Defensive member’s role is up in the air for the final 15 games of ’24/25, according to Highkin.
Former NBA big man Frank Kaminsky, who spent training camp with Phoenix last fall before being cut, will miss the remainder of the NBA G League season, reports Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link). Kaminsky, who had been playing for the Raptors 905 until recently, is set to undergo arthroscopic surgery on his right knee.

Western Notes: Wolves, Mavs, Missi, Zion, Thunder

March 15th, 2025 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

After flirting with .500 for most of the first half of the season as they got accustomed to their new-look roster, the Timberwolves are 17-8 in their past 25 games and have won seven in a row. The Wolves won’t match their 56-win total from last season, but they’re pushing hard for a top-six spot in the Western Conference, which would guarantee them a place in the playoffs.

Following the blockbuster fall trade that sent Karl-Anthony Towns to New York and Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to Minnesota, there was an adjustment period for the newcomers. DiVincenzo, in particular, struggled in the early part of the season, averaging 8.3 points per game on 35.3% shooting in his first 25 games. Since then, he’s putting up 15.1 PPG on 46.6% shooting.

Randle also took some time to get used to playing alongside center Rudy Gobert, but that duo has gotten more and more comfortable together. The Wolves have won the last 12 games in which Randle has been active and were just 5-8 last month when he missed time with a groin strain.

“We came a long way in our chemistry,” Gobert said after Wednesday’s victory in Denver, per Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. “I would say it really starts with Ant (Anthony Edwards) and Julius. The way they’ve been playing and the way they’ve been making the right play for the teammates has been having a tremendous impact for us.”

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

NBA teams are required to have at least eight healthy players suit up for each game. The Mavericks, who can’t currently sign a player due to their proximity to the hard cap, are flirting with that cut-off and are at risk of falling below the minimum threshold with two-way players Kessler Edwards and Brandon Williams nearing their active-game limits. Bobby Marks of ESPN (YouTube link) explores what would happen if the Mavs don’t have eight healthy players on hand, suggesting that the club would likely have to violate the league’s injury-reporting rules by listing an injured player as available in order to meet the required minimum and avoid a forfeit.
The Pelicans will be missing a pair of frontcourt starters on Saturday night in San Antonio. Forward Zion Williamson is unavailable for personal reasons, while center Yves Missi will sit for a second straight game due to a left ankle sprain, per the team (Twitter link).
What do the Pelicans have to left to play for as they enter the home stretch of a disappointing season? Rod Walker of NOLA.com spoke to head coach Willie Green and a few New Orleans players about that topic. “It’s different for every player,” big man Kelly Olynyk said. “Obviously for the young guys, you want to get out here and get experience and show the organization, the franchise and the rest of the league what you can do. For an older player, you just continue to build and grow chemistry. For me, it’s trying to build inside this system and get some chemistry and cohesiveness with these guys heading into next year.”
The Thunder‘s win in Boston on Wednesday was “a window into the versatility that makes (them) so unstoppable,” according to Jared Weiss of The Athletic, who says Oklahoma City continues to convincingly answer every question asked about the team’s legitimacy as a title contender.

Mavericks’ Exum Breaks Bone In Hand, Likely Out For Season

March 15th, 2025 at 1:09pm CST by Luke Adams

March 15: The Mavericks have issued a formal update on Exum, announcing (via Twitter) that he has a fractured left hand and will be reevaluated in four weeks.

March 14: The injuries just keep piling up for the Mavericks.

Having entered Friday’s game in Houston with only nine available players, Dallas lost guard Dante Exum in the second quarter due to a left hand injury. According to Shams Charania of ESPN, Exum has broken a bone in that hand and will be sidelined indefinitely.

Confirming that Exum has a broken bone in his hand, head coach Jason Kidd told reporters after Friday’s game that the guard is “probably out for the season,” per Christian Clark of The Athletic (Twitter link).

It has been a comically bad run of injury luck for the Mavericks, who have lost Kyrie Irving and Olivier-Maxence Prosper to season-ending ailments, with Anthony Davis, Daniel Gafford, and Dereck Lively among the key players who are in the midst of long-term absences. P.J. Washington, Jaden Hardy, and Kai Jones are all currently on the shelf as well.

Exum missed the first 48 games of this season while recovering from wrist surgery before making his debut on January 31. He has been a reliable role player since then — entering Friday’s game, he had averaged 9.5 points and 2.9 assists in 19.8 minutes per game across 17 outings (11 starts), with a shooting line of .484/.447/.742.

The 29-year-old, who is also considered a stout point-of-attack defender, had still been on a restriction of about 20-25 minutes per game.

While it sounds like Washington should be ready to return from an ankle sprain on Sunday, the Mavericks are far from out of the woods in terms of their injury issues. In fact, it could get worse before it gets better, since two-way players Kessler Edwards and Brandon Williams are only eligible to appear in up to three and six more regular season games, respectively, as we outlined earlier this week.

The Mavericks also don’t have the ability to add reinforcements via free agency, since they’re only about $51K away from their hard cap, which means they don’t have room for a 10-day contract and don’t have the ability to sign a 15th man until April 10.

Hold Top Spot On "Misery Index"

March 15th, 2025 at 9:42am CST by Rory Maher

Due to the shocking trade of Luka Doncic and the ensuing tidal wave of injuries, most notably losing Kyrie Irving to a torn ACL, the Mavericks hold the top spot on Zach Harper of The Athletic‘s “Misery Index.” The injury-ravaged Pelicans also make an appearance, coming in at fourth on the five-team list.

Injury Notes: Mavericks, Doncic, Lonzo, Ivey

March 14th, 2025 at 6:05pm CST by Luke Adams

The Mavericks will once again have just nine players available on Friday in Houston. Forward P.J. Washington, who is dealing with a right ankle sprain, was originally listed as questionable, but he has been ruled out and will miss a seventh consecutive game, according to Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).

Head coach Jason Kidd explained that with the Mavericks scheduled to play an early-afternoon game against Philadelphia on Sunday, Washington was unlikely to be available for that contest if he plays tonight. So, as Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning relays (via Twitter), the decision was made to hold the forward out of Friday’s game, but it sounds like he should be ready to return in a couple days.

There has been no indication that any other injured Maverick is on the verge of being activated. Kidd did say that Anthony Davis (adductor strain) “continues to trend in the right direction,” but there’s no timeline for his return, tweets Townsend.

Besides only having nine players available, Kidd is also limited in how much he can use several of those players. Dante Exum is on a minutes limit of about 20-to-25 per game, while Dwight Powell, Caleb Martin, and Brandon Williams all remain on minutes restrictions too, per Townsend (Twitter link).

Here are a few more injury-related notes from across the NBA:

Already missing LeBron James, the Lakers will be without their other star on Friday in Denver. They’ve ruled out Luka Doncic, who is managing a left calf issue as well as a right ankle sprain, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. The Lakers have lost three games in a row and will face long odds to snap that streak on Friday with their top two players inactive.
Bulls guard Lonzo Ball, who has been sidelined for the past six games due to a sprained right wrist, told his teammates before they embarked on a six-game road trip that he’d see them “on the second half of the trip,” tweets K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network. It’s unclear whether that means Ball expects to return to action by then or if he’ll just meet up with the team at that point — either way, it sounds like he’ll be out for at least three more games.
Despite being ruled out for at least four more weeks on Thursday, Pistons guard Jaden Ivey hasn’t given up on the idea of returning to action this spring, as Eric Woodyard of ESPN relays. As the No. 6 seed in the East, Detroit is well-positioned to make the playoffs, so the team should continue playing beyond the end of the regular season for the first time since 2019, giving Ivey more time to recover. “It’s definitely motivating. I want to be out there so bad,” he said. “And I’m putting in the work to get back so just seeing those guys go out there and compete hard, that’s all I want to do is compete and play the game of basketball so it’s definitely encouraging and exciting to see.”

Injury Notes: Davis, Lively, Gafford, JJJ, Sabonis, Lakers, Walker

March 13th, 2025 at 9:03pm CST by Earnest Marshall

There are no indications that the Mavericks are seriously considering shutting down Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively II or Daniel Gafford for the rest of the season, according to Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. If any or all of the three currently injured big men are able to return while the Mavericks are mathematically in the play-in/postseason hunt, they’ll play, says Townsend.

A recent report suggested that it might be in Dallas’ best interest to preserve those players for the long run due to Kyrie Irving‘s season-ending injury and the team’s unfavorable spot in the standings.

“We know how good we can be when everyone’s healthy,” guard Dante Exum said. “But that’s one of the big things about the NBA: timing. Timing is everything. Runs and staying healthy during the season and going into playoffs, that’s a big part, and it’s something that we’re gonna have to figure out, quick.”

Davis is dealing with an adductor strain and Lively is recovering from a stress fracture. Both players, as we wrote, are on track to make their returns before the end of the season, if that’s the path the organization and players agree to. Gafford is recovering from an MCL sprain. His original six-week recovery timeline would have him back toward the end of March or the beginning of April, but there’s a sense he might be a little further off.

We have more injury notes from around the league:

Jaren Jackson Jr. appears to be be nearing a return for the Grizzlies, as he was upgraded to questionable for Friday’s game against the Cavaliers, according to Damichael Cole of Memphis Commercial Appeal. The Grizzlies have gone 4-1 without Jackson, but his return will be a welcome one for a team with aspirations of competing for a title. Jackson has been considered week-to-week due to an ankle sprain.
Domantas Sabonis hasn’t suited up for the Kings since March 1, but he was upgraded to questionable ahead of the team’s Thursday game against the Warriors, according to Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee (Twitter link). Sabonis, who is dealing with a hamstring injury, was ruled out just before the game, tweets Anderson. But the fact that his injury status was upgraded at all is a signal that his return should be just around the corner.
Lakers center Jaxson Hayes and forward Rui Hachimura left the team’s road trip to return to L.A. alongside LeBron James for health reasons, Dave McMenamin of ESPN tweets. Both Hayes and Hachimura are battling knee injuries. They, along with James, are considered day-to-day, according to McMenamin. We previously wrote about James’ injury here.
Sixers guard Lonnie Walker IV was diagnosed with a concussion on Thursday morning, according to PHLY Sports’ Kyle Neubeck (Twitter link). Walker hit his head on the court on Wednesday against Toronto and entered the NBA’s concussion protocol. He’ll be evaluated daily moving forward.

Former NBA Center Oliver Miller Dies At 54

March 12th, 2025 at 8:33pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Longtime NBA center Oliver Miller has sadly passed away at just 54, according to the National Basketball Retired Players Association (Twitter link).

No official cause of death has been revealed, but Miller tweeted late last month that he had been diagnosed with cancer.

Miller was selected with the No. 22 overall pick out of Arkansas by the Suns in 1992. As a rookie, he became a critical bench player during MVP Charles Barkley‘s inaugural season in Phoenix, when the club advanced to the 1993 NBA Finals. The team lost in six games to Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen‘s Bulls, who were capping off their first three-peat.

Across a nine-season NBA career, Miller suited up for the Pistons, Raptors, Mavericks, and Kings before returning to Phoenix for the 1999/2000 season. In his 493 career NBA regular season appearances (193 starts), the 6’9″ pro recorded averages of 7.4 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists.

Between 2000-03, Miller enjoyed non-NBA pro stints in Greece, Poland, Puerto Rico, and China, along with the USBL and then-D League stateside.

Miller returned to the NBA, briefly, for the 2003/04 season, where he suited up for the Western Conference Finals-bound Timberwolves. He intermittently hopped around the D League and USBL from 2004-10 before calling it a career.

Hoops Rumors sends its deepest condolences to Miller’s family and friends.