Mavericks Notes: Davis, Irving, Christie, Martin
Anthony Davis could make his Mavericks debut tonight at Boston, tweets Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal. Davis, who has been sidelined for the past week with a strained abdominal muscle, was upgraded to questionable in the team’s latest injury report. He was able to participate in this morning’s shootaround, and a decision on his status will be made closer to tipoff.
[Update: Davis is more likely to make his Mavericks debut on Saturday, per NBA insider Marc Stein (Twitter link).]
Davis met with the media on Tuesday for the first time since the shocking deal that sent him from the Lakers to the Mavs, Afseth writes in a full story. He told reporters that his long-standing relationship with Dallas general manager Nico Harrison has made the experience of changing teams much easier.
“Nico’s known me since I was in high school,” Davis said. “Obviously, one of the guys I got close to when I signed with Nike. And then, to stay close throughout the years, we remained good friends. And now to come back kind of full circle and be together here in Dallas, it’s going to be fun.”
Davis also expressed excitement about being able to return to his preferred position of power forward on a team that’s stocked with centers. Although he may see some time in the middle while Dereck Lively is injured, that should be temporary.
“Obviously, Dereck is dealing with an injury, but Gaff (Daniel Gafford) is playing phenomenal. So I think that’s the plan, but we’ll see how it goes,” Davis said. “Right now, I’m just excited to get back to playing basketball. Given the whole trade thing but also the injury, each time I’m on the floor, I feel better. But I haven’t played power forward in a long time, since I was first in LA. To be back at the four, I’m excited to see how it goes.”
There’s more on the Mavericks:
- Davis is also thrilled to finally reunite with Kyrie Irving, Afseth adds. They both played for Team USA in the 2014 World Cup and have been interested in joining forces in the NBA for several years. “Me and Kai talked about this, I think, in 2018 when I asked for a trade from New Orleans,” Davis said. “He was in Boston at the time, and he ended up leaving for Brooklyn. We’ve been wanting to play alongside each other for a very long time. Now we got that opportunity to do so.”
- Max Christie had an impressive first game for the Mavs in Tuesday’s loss at Philadelphia, Afseth states in a separate story. He scored 15 points while hitting all four of his three-point attempts, added nine rebounds and played high-level defense. “Christie was great. With 30 minutes on the floor and no practice, he was better than advertised,” coach Jason Kidd said. “He showed his skills as a basketball player on both sides of the floor for us tonight.” Christie said he enjoyed his debut, even though he’s still learning the sets that Dallas runs.
- Because the Mavericks were playing in Philadelphia, Caleb Martin was able to join his new team right away when he got traded to Dallas before Tuesday’s game, notes Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Martin signed with the Sixers in free agency last summer, but injuries have limited him to 31 games and he hasn’t played since January 10 due to a strained right hip. “It’s kind of disappointing to see him gone,” Joel Embiid said. “True professional. Obviously, we’ve had a tough season — all of us. We just haven’t been healthy. He’s been part of this. I feel like we never really got to see what we all envisioned about all of us.”
Kyrie Irving, LeBron James Talk Doncic/Davis Mega-Deal
Following Tuesday’s loss two-point loss in Philadelphia, Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving talked at length about the blockbuster trade that saw Luka Doncic become a member of the Lakers and Anthony Davis head to Dallas.
“Just really shocked, and you just don’t imagine that you’re going to get ready to go to sleep, and then you find out news like that. It’s still a grieving process right now. I miss my hermano,” Irving said of Doncic, per Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal (Substack link). “We had a lot of time together, Kieff (Markieff Morris) too, and Maxi (Kleber). We built some bonds that went beyond the basketball court.”
As Tim Bontemps of ESPN writes, Irving wasn’t asked a single question about Tuesday’s game, with all of the focus on his reaction to the trade. Irving reiterated multiple times that he was still trying to process the news, which broke late Saturday night.
“This is a business, it’s way above my pay grade, and I’ve just got to adjust and be ready to welcome in my new teammates with open arms and kind of be ready to go back to Dallas, too, to speak in front of our fans,” Irving said. “I know they are feeling it, too. I’m feeling it too, guys. So, yeah, it’s just an adjustment period. I don’t want to downplay this either, or disrespect our new guys. They’re going to help us win, and help us build toward a championship, but just like everyone else at home, when you kind of see it from afar, it hurts.”
“This is a weird case in NBA history to be a part of,” Irving said later (story via Christian Clark of The Athletic). “At the same time, it’s the nature of our business. It is a ruthless business. So you have to be able to pick up the pieces. Still run toward the championship. That’s the ultimate goal on why I play. Having other guys who are championship guys helps, too. But at the same time, we have to acknowledge that our little Slovenian president is no longer here and we have to adjust.”
According to Bontemps, Irving also spoke about his last season in Boston back in 2018/19, when Davis was a frequently rumored target of the Celtics. Irving said the plan at the time was for him to team with Davis, Kevin Durant and Jayson Tatum, though that obviously didn’t happen — he and Durant both signed with Brooklyn in 2019 free agency, while Davis wound up being traded to Los Angeles.
“Yeah. That has no foreshadowing either, on anything, guys. Just letting you know right now,” Irving said with a laugh, referring to speculation swirling around Suns star Durant ahead of Thursday’s 2:00 pm CT trade deadline. “We were discussing in 2018, just for everybody at home that’s watching, because I know all of these words are going to be looked at.
“But yeah, in 2018, it was a dream for Kyrie, AD, KD to be on one team and still keep JT and let him grow and then see how it goes. But back then, those young guys weren’t ready to be in trade rumors, man. Our locker room splintered after that once they found out. It wasn’t [Jaylen Brown] or JT, but our locker room splintered once they started figuring out the trade rumors, and our season started going in a whole different way.”
After Tuesday’s win over the Clippers, Lakers superstar LeBron James said he was completely caught off guard by the three-team mega-deal as well and confirmed that he had no idea it was in the works, as Dave McMenamin of ESPN relays.
“My emotions were all over the place, obviously,” James said. “We had just come off a big win, a huge win in the Garden. I was out. I mean, you guys have seen the report. I was out with my family at dinner and got the news, and the first time I heard it, I thought it was for sure fake. I thought it was a hoax, people messing around or whatever. But then when AD called me, AD FaceTimed me and I talked to him for quite a while, and even when I got off the phone with him, it still didn’t seem real.”
Even though he was shocked by the trade, James said he was fully on board with having Doncic on the roster and that he was “committed to the Lakers organization,” McMenamin adds.
“Luka’s been my favorite player in the NBA for a while now,” James said. “I think you guys know that. And I’ve always just tried to play the game the right way and inspire the next generation. And Luka happens to be one of them. And now, we’re teammates. So it’ll be a very seamless transition.”
Southwest Notes: Doncic, Duffy, Davis, Vassell, Jackson
Confirming previous reports, Luka Doncic said he gave Mavericks management any indication that he wouldn’t sign a five-year, $345MM super-max extension this offseason prior to being dealt to the Lakers, Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News tweets.
“Absolutely not,” Doncic said.
Doncic’s agent, Bill Duffy, indicated he expected to discuss the super-max with Dallas’ brass.
“We were going to talk at the end of the season,” Duffy said, per another Townsend tweet.
Doncic is no longer eligible for the super-max since he was dealt.
We have more from the Southwest Division:
- Anthony Davis admits he was caught off-guard by the blockbuster trade that landed him in Dallas. “I was shocked,” Davis said, per ESPN’s Tim Bontemps. “I had no idea. I had just sent the team a text about congratulations on the win against the Knicks, big win, and then looking forward to Tuesday’s game against the Clippers, as far as standing purposes. And then, found out like an hour later I was no longer with the team. I was in shock, obviously. Had no idea that it was happening. But, I mean, now I’m kind of over it, and just kind of getting ready to play with Dallas.” Davis had lobbied for the Lakers to acquire a center so he could spend more time at power forward. The Mavericks have Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively, which will allow Davis to play power forward regularly again. “Anytime that I’m out on the floor, I feel better. I haven’t played power forward in a long time with another big,” Davis said. “We saw some spurts in L.A. with Jaxson (Hayes), but to be back naturally at the four, I’m excited to see how it goes.”
- Spurs wing Devin Vassell sees a new offensive dimension with the addition of De’Aaron Fox, according to ESPN’s Michael C. Wright. He feels defenses will be confounded by the combination of Fox and Victor Wembanyama. “Who do you stop between those two?” Vassell said. “I think we’re going to play a lot faster and we’re going to be out in transition a lot. I think it’s just going to open up a lot with Fox being our point guard. Him and Wemby on the screen-and-roll? Then you have me and (Julian) Champagnie and certain shooters around. It’s going to be an exciting offense, and I think defensively we’re going to be able to get after people, too. I know Fox likes to pick up full court and kind of change the pace of the game. He’s going to help us on both ends.” Fox is listed as available for the Spurs’ game against Atlanta on Wednesday, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets.
- In a subscriber-only story, Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal details GG Jackson‘s breakout game against San Antonio and considers how Jackson’s ability to be a dynamic offense option impacts the Grizzlies going forward. The second-year forward, playing in his eighth game since returning from foot surgery, scored 27 points in 28 minutes.
Mavs, Rockets Interested In Kevin Durant
Could the Mavericks pull off another trade shocker before Thursday’s deadline?
According to The Athletic’s Sam Amick, David Aldridge and Anthony Slater, the Mavericks are hopeful of adding Kevin Durant to form a new superstar trio alongside his former Nets teammate Kyrie Irving and newly-acquired Anthony Davis.
The Athletic’s reporters caution that a Durant deal this week to Dallas is unlikely but the Mavs’ interest demonstrates the approach of general manager Nico Harrison, who appears to be targeting big-time stars he knows well from his Nike days, with the aim of winning a championship ASAP.
The Rockets, who are known to covet Suns guard Devin Booker, are also contemplating a run at Durant, per The Athletic. While the Rockets have a young, seemingly sustainable core, adding an impact player like Durant might vault them into true title contender status this season. Houston currently has the West’s third-best record.
As reported on Monday, the Warriors are also in pursuit of Durant but thus far the Suns have set an exorbitant asking price in exploratory talks. According to Amick, Aldridge, and Slater, one of the players the Suns want in return is Draymond Green, who starred at owner Mat Ishbia’s alma mater, Michigan State. The Suns also have a level of interest in forward Jonathan Kuminga, a restricted free agent after the season.
The Suns remain Jimmy Butler‘s preferred destination but talks with the Heat have stalled because Miami doesn’t want Bradley Beal in return. Beal, who anticipates remaining with Phoenix past the deadline, per The Athletic, would have to waive his no-trade clause to be dealt.
Trading Durant could provide an alternate pathway for Phoenix to enhance its offer to Miami for Butler, according to Amick, Aldridge, and Slater, who hear from league sources that the Suns’ messaging about how willing they are to move Durant varies from team to team.
Interestingly, the Suns list Durant as doubtful to play on Wednesday against OKC due to an ankle sprain, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets. It could be construed as a way to ensure Durant’s health as Phoenix pursues deadline deals, though Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports notes (via Twitter) that the star forward did turn his ankle in overtime on Monday.
Joel Embiid Available To Play Tuesday After Month-Long Absence
FEBRUARY 4: Embiid will be available to play on Tuesday vs. Dallas, the team confirmed today (via Twitter).
FEBRUARY 3: Joel Embiid could return to action on Tuesday. The Sixers are listing their star center as questionable to play against the Mavericks, Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports tweets.
Embiid hasn’t seen action since Jan. 4 due to lingering left knee issues. The big man has only appeared in 13 games this season, averaging 24.4 points, 7.9 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 29.5 minutes per game. He was limited to 39 games last season, when he averaged a career-best 34.7 PPG, 11 RPG and 5.6 APG.
The return of Embiid could factor into the Sixers’ plans regarding their roster with the trade deadline looming. Philadelphia’s brass reportedly has no intention to give up on this season, even though Embiid and prized free agent Paul George have been sidelined for a chunk of its games. George is listed as out on Tuesday due to a finger injury, but he, like Embiid, practiced on Tuesday, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets.
The Sixers have a 19-29 record after losing their last two games following a four-game winning streak.
Embiid isn’t the only Sixers player close to returning after an extended absence. Embiid’s backup Andre Drummond (left toe), Caleb Martin (right hip) and KJ Martin (left foot) are also questionable to play on Tuesday. As Bodner points out, Drummond has only played in four games since Dec. 23, Caleb Martin has been out since Jan. 10 and KJ Martin hasn’t seen action since Dec. 23.
As for their opponent, the Mavericks are listing Anthony Davis and Max Christie as questionable to play on Tuesday, Mike Curtis of the Dallas Morning News tweets. Interestingly, Davis’ abdominal strain was not listed on the Mavs’ injury report. Instead, the questionable tag was due to “trade pending,” though Dallas has officially announced the blockbuster deal with the Lakers and Jazz.
Western Notes: Davis, Sexton, LaVine, Bane, Blazers
Anthony Davis won’t make his Mavericks debut on Tuesday. He has been ruled out due to the abdominal strain he suffered with the Lakers before their blockbuster trade with Dallas, Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal tweets. Davis was originally listed as questionable against Philadelphia.
Dallas wraps up its road trip at Boston on Thursday, then hosts Houston on Saturday.
We have more Western Conference news:
- Jazz guard Collin Sexton sprained his left ankle as he drove to the basket in the first quarter against the Pacers on Monday, according to The Associated Press. Sexton, Utah’s second-leading scorer at 18.7 points per game, didn’t return, and will undergo further evaluation Tuesday. Sexton is considered a prime trade candidate. He has one year and $19.175MM remaining on his contract after this season.
- Zach LaVine is expected to suit up for the Kings on Wednesday, James Ham of The Kings Beat tweets. Sacramento’s acquisition of LaVine became official on Monday. LaVine hasn’t played since last Monday due to the birth of his child.
- Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane has a foot sprain but it’s not considered serious, Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal tweets. Bane underwent an MRI on Monday morning. Coach Taylor Jenkins said it was good news, based on the potential outcomes, so it appears Bane won’t be out an extended period. Bane is averaging 17.9 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists per night.
- The Trail Blazers are open to trading Jerami Grant, Anfernee Simons and Deandre Ayton, according to Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report. Highkin believes if Grant or Simons are moved, the Trail Blazers would prefer a player they can add to their long-term core, rather than prioritizing draft picks. Robert Williams is another potential trade piece but the bar is higher than most people would think for the big man, as a package of second-round picks probably wouldn’t be enough for Portland’s front office, Highkin writes.
Southwest Notes: Exum, Davis, Murray, Paul, Wembanyama
The shocking trade of Luka Doncic over the weekend overshadowed Dante Exum‘s return to action for the Mavericks. Exum underwent wrist surgery during training camp and returned to action at Detroit on Friday, receiving 14 minutes of court time. With the Mavericks shorthanded on Sunday at Cleveland, Exum played 21 minutes and contributed 14 points and three assists.
“It’s been a long road,” Exum told Mike Curtis of the Dallas Morning News. “It’s been a lot of ups and downs. Just the work to get back to this point, it’s been a lot. Unfortunately, we couldn’t win (Friday). That would’ve been a nice icing on the cake. There’s still a lot of work to do. I got a lot of work to do. Hopefully, I can get back to my normal self as quick as possible.”
We have more from the Southwest Division:
- Regarding the blockbuster trade, Exum believes the Mavericks can be a dynamic defensive team with the addition of Anthony Davis. Exum made his comments after Dallas was blown out by Cleveland on Sunday. “The best thing about AD – look at (Sunday), how (the Cavs) play two bigs,” Exum told Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com. “It’s a perfect example of how we can be – a defensive-minded team. And AD brings a lot of offense, a lot of rim protection, rebounding, everything. It’s going to be fun to jell and figure out how we’re going to be successful. I think we have all the potential in the world. AD has been saying for a while that he wants to play the four. He’s going to have two centers in and out behind him and P.J. (Washington) goes to his natural position at the three. Just looking at that, it makes it a tough frontcourt.”
- Dejounte Murray‘s season-ending injury was just the latest setback for the snake-bit Pelicans. Murray tore his Achilles tendon on Friday. Murray had already missed 17 games with a broken hand in his first season with New Orleans after being traded from Atlanta. “It’s difficult to watch and see him go down knowing all he’s been through so far,” coach Willie Green said, per Rod Walker of NOLA.com. Green has started 25 different lineups in the team’s first 49 games due to a rash of injuries.
- The Spurs’ Chris Paul and Victor Wembanyama will team up in the Skills Challenge at All-Star Weekend in San Francisco, NBA insider Chris Haynes tweets. Wembanyama also participated in the competition last season.
More Notes On Luka Doncic Blockbuster
The Jazz were involved in the Luka Doncic/Anthony Davis mega-deal between the Lakers and Mavericks as a third-team facilitator, taking on Jalen Hood-Schifino‘s expiring contract and getting a pair of 2025 second-rounders for their willingness to eat that salary.
However, according to Ramona Shelburne and Tim MacMahon of ESPN, the talks between Dallas and Los Angeles were so closed off that Utah didn’t even know Doncic and Davis were involved in the trade until approximately an hour before it was completed. All the Jazz knew was that they were acquiring two second-round picks along with Hood-Schifino.
As ESPN’s duo writes, the Lakers had a few backup plans lined up if the Jazz ended up backing out. Utah had to complete a trade with the Clippers earlier on Saturday in order to make sure there was a roster spot available to take on Hood-Schifino — the Jazz ended up waiving Mohamed Bamba a day after acquiring him from the Clippers to open up that spot.
According to Shelburne and MacMahon, Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison decided early in the process that the best way to go about trading Doncic was to target a specific deal he wanted and to keep it quiet. While the Mavs have faced some criticism for not opening up the process and potentially creating a bidding war, Harrison didn’t want to risk Doncic and his agent exerting leverage from their end — he also hoped to avoid creating a fan backlash during the negotiations, per ESPN.
Here’s more on the blockbuster trade whose shock waves are still reverberating across the NBA:
- Within their in-depth look ta the deal, Shelburne and MacMahon write that Doncic’s habits on and off the court that had long frustrated the Mavericks. According to ESPN’s duo, when Doncic missed 11 days in November due to what was called a right wrist sprain, the primary motive was to give him time to shed weight, since he was in the high-260s. “I mean, who gains weight during the season when you’re playing 40 minutes a game?” one team source complained to ESPN last year. The Mavs considered Doncic’s ideal weight to be 245 points, but he frequently played in the 250-255 range or higher.
- As Marc Stein previously reported, the full-time “body team” that Doncic hired out of pocket prior to the 2023/24 season was another source of frustration for Dallas. According to ESPN, the Mavs didn’t notice any improvements in the guard’s conditioning or availability, and complained about poor communication with Doncic’s team, which consisted of Slovenian national team strength coach Anze Macek, physiotherapist Javier Barrio Calvo, and nutritionist Lucia Almendros from Real Madrid.
- New Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont didn’t have the same kind of personal relationship with Doncic that former majority owner Mark Cuban did, per Shelburne and MacMahon, who say Dumont trusted in Harrison’s belief that the trade would give the Mavs a better culture-setter in Davis, along with more financial flexibility and a defense-first identity. Cuban, who is still a minority stakeholder in the franchise, declined to comment on the deal, but one team source told ESPN, “No way Mark would ever trade Luka. It wouldn’t even be a conversation.”
- Doncic had anticipated signing a five-year super-max extension with the Mavericks during the 2025 offseason, sources tell ESPN — he never gave any indication that he had considered the idea of leaving Dallas and had begun searching for a new home in the city. However, team sources tell Shelburne and MacMahon that the club was as concerned about Doncic signing that contract as they were about him not signing it.
- David Aldridge of The Athletic spoke to several executives around the league about their impressions of the Doncic/Davis trade and how it was negotiated. While some of those execs questioned Dallas’ thinking, others pointed out that the Mavs knew Doncic better than any other team. “Luka has the ability to take a franchise to the highest level and has shown that,” one Eastern Conference executive said. “He is a winner, but it seems that Dallas knows something that others might not know and made a decision that they feel is best for now and their future.”
- Marc J. Spears of Andscape hears that Doncic and the Lakers are targeting next week – likely either Monday or Wednesday vs. Utah – for his debut with the team (Twitter video link). Doncic has been out since Christmas Day due to a calf strain.
Lakers Rumors: Doncic, LeBron, Center, Sharpe
Due to the secretive nature of their trade talks with the Mavericks about Luka Doncic, the Lakers were unable to touch base with Doncic or his agent Bill Duffy during negotiations to get a sense of the guard’s appetite for a long-term future in Los Angeles, according to Fred Katz, Joe Vardon, and Sam Amick of The Athletic, who say that inability to get clarity on Doncic’s thinking was one reason why the Lakers weren’t willing to include their 2031 first-round pick in the trade along with their 2029 first-rounder.
The Mavericks didn’t aggressively push for that 2031 pick to be included, acquiescing to the Lakers’ desire to keep it out of the deal. Now that Doncic is officially a Laker, he’s “ecstatic” about being in Los Angeles and all indications are that he’ll welcome a long-term deal with the franchise, a league source tells Katz, Vardon, and Amick.
As excited as he is about becoming a Laker, a source close to the five-time All-Star tells The Athletic that Doncic had expected to be a Maverick for his entire NBA career. He said as much publicly in his social media statement thanking fans in Dallas, writing that he “wanted so badly to bring you a championship” (Instagram link).
“He wanted to be like Dirk (Nowitzki),” the source told The Athletic.
We have more on the Lakers:
- While LeBron James was shocked by the news of the trade, he wasn’t upset about it, according to one of the Athletic’s sources, who said James’ primary concern was about Anthony Davis‘ reaction to the deal. James understood that it was a “business decision” the Lakers needed to make to set themselves up for a future that will extend well beyond his retirement.
- Trading away Davis leaves the Lakers with a glaring need at center, but not many of the most popular names on the trade market appeal to them, league sources tell Katz, Vardon, and Amick. Now that the 2031 pick is their last remaining tradable first-rounder, the Lakers don’t want to give that asset away for a “patch-up role player,” The Athletic’s reporters add.
- On that subject, Brian Lewis of The New York Post said last week that the Lakers were keeping an eye on Nets center Day’Ron Sharpe, who will be eligible for restricted free agency at season’s end. It’s unclear if Sharpe is still a potential target for L.A., but he certainly shouldn’t cost a first-round pick.
- The Lakers won’t be eager to take on long-term salary in any subsequent trades, since they’re currently poised to have a good deal of cap flexibility in 2026, when several contracts come off their books, and could take advantage of that flexibility to go star-hunting, according to Katz, Vardon, and Amick.
Mavericks Notes: Doncic Trade Reactions, Thompson, Davis, Christie
Mavericks players learned about the Luka Doncic trade through Shams Charania’s tweet late Saturday night and they had the same incredulous reaction as everyone else, writes Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoop Journal (subscription required).
“I was like everybody – did Shams get hacked? It was a real big shock,” Dante Exum said. “I’ve been traded twice, and you just learn that it’s how this business works, and it’s something you have to adjust to.”
The aftershocks of the surprise mega-deal continued to reverberate throughout the league on Sunday, particularly in the Mavs’ locker room as they played an afternoon game in Cleveland just hours after finding out that their franchise player was headed to Los Angeles. With Kyrie Irving, P.J. Washington, Daniel Gafford, Dereck Lively and Dwight Powell all sidelined due to injuries, Dallas couldn’t keep the game competitive, giving up 91 first-half points and losing by 43 to the best team in the East.
“It’s tough, but we all have a job to do,” Jaden Hardy said. “Obviously a lot of people were caught off guard, same with the team, like the rest of the world. He was special. A lot of guys felt for him. Still shocked right now.”
Hardy adds that Doncic sent out texts to all his teammates to say good-bye. He expressed gratitude for what they accomplished together and reflected on the bonds they created.
“He texted the team, thanking everybody for everything,” Hardy said. “That was nice from somebody that got traded, reaching out and letting everybody know his thoughts.”
There’s more on the Mavericks:
- After years of playing alongside Stephen Curry with Golden State, Klay Thompson decided to come to Dallas last summer to team up with another elite player in Doncic. Even though they were only teammates for a few months, Thompson isn’t second-guessing his decision, Afseth tweets. “ I live with no regrets. I’m happy to be a Maverick,” Thompson said. “Incredibly grateful to be a Maverick. I’m excited to be in Dallas and I’m very excited for what’s ahead.”
- The Mavericks aren’t sure when Anthony Davis will be ready to make his debut, according to Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. Davis suffered an abdominal strain last week, and the Lakers were planning to reevaluate his condition on Wednesday. Dallas general manager Nico Harrison told reporters yesterday that the injury isn’t “significant” and he’ll have a better idea of when Davis can resume playing once his physical is complete. “I don’t have a perfect answer for that,” Harrison said. “I mean, everything just happened. I don’t even think it was midnight last night, like 2, 3 in the morning. So we’re still trying to get physicals, figure out how long that’s going to take, get people into the market.”
- Max Christie was overshadowed by the bigger names in the trade, but he could turn out to be a valuable addition, observes Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News, who lists five things that Mavericks fans should know about the 21-year-old shooting guard.