Injury Notes: Mavericks, Avdija, Edwards, Gobert, MPJ
The Mavericks will be without eight players for Saturday’s matchup with Utah, the team announced (via Twitter). In addition to Dante Exum, Dereck Lively II, Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis, Cooper Flagg (left ankle sprain), Daniel Gafford (right ankle sprain), D’Angelo Russell (illness) and P.J. Washington (personal reasons) will also be sidelined today.
It’s the second straight missed game for Flagg, the top pick in last year’s draft. The only relatively unexpected absences were Washington, who was initially listed as probable with what the team called right ankle injury management, and Russell, who was a late scratch.
Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:
- Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija will miss his third straight game Saturday against the Lakers due to a lower back strain, the team confirmed (Twitter link). Avdija, who suffered the injury on January 11, was initially listed as doubtful. On a brighter note, Jerami Grant and Jrue Holiday are both probable to suit up after initially being considered questionable.
- Star guard Anthony Edwards will return to action on Saturday after a two-game absence due to right foot injury management, per the Timberwolves (Twitter link). Four-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert, who is dealing with a left hip contusion, is questionable to play at San Antonio. According to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link), Gobert seemed to be moving OK following Friday’s loss in Houston, but it is a quick turnaround.
- The Nets won’t have Michael Porter Jr. (rest) or Drake Powell (left knee injury management) available for Sunday’s game at Chicago, tweets Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Sunday is the front end of a back-to-back for Brooklyn — the team hosts Phoenix on Monday. Porter was also rested under similar circumstances last weekend.
Mavericks Rumors: Davis, Marshall, Gafford, Klay, Russell
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported a few days ago that Anthony Davis is still a trade candidate despite dealing with a hand injury that will keep him sidelined for at least six weeks. A subsequent report from his ESPN colleague Tim MacMahon stated that Davis’ agent Rich Paul hopes the 10-time All-Star is traded by the Mavericks prior to the February 5 deadline, but the team doesn’t feel any pressure to deal Davis just to move off his contract.
The Hawks and Raptors have been frequently linked to Davis, but neither team is close to trading for the 32-year-old big man, sources tell Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal.com. Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported earlier on Thursday that Atlanta isn’t operating with any urgency in the wake of Davis’ latest injury.
“The Mavericks’ leverage is materially worse after the hand injury,” one Western Conference executive told Afseth. “I don’t think [Davis] has much of a market.”
Here’s more from Afseth on the Mavericks:
- Forward Naji Marshall is having a career year with Dallas and has popped up in some trade rumors this winter. Confirming recent reporting from Marc Stein, Afseth says there’s a sense that Dallas prefers to hang on to Marshall rather than move him in the coming weeks. The 28-year-old wing is earning $9MM in 2025/26 and will make $9.4MM in ’26/27 before potentially becoming a free agent.
- Although Daniel Gafford has been repeatedly mentioned as one of the team’s top trade chips, his value seems to be diminishing because of health concerns, Afseth reports. The 27-year-old big man has missed 13 games this season due to a right ankle sprain he initially suffered on the first day of training camp and is doubtful for Saturday’s rematch with Utah, tweets Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. “If Gafford is healthy, he can help a team. I don’t think he’s been healthy all season,” one Eastern Conference scout told Dallas Hoops Journal. “That ankle has been a problem for months. It looks like he’s frequently playing through something. He doesn’t pop when you watch the Mavericks like he did last season.” No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg is also doubtful for tomorrow’s game with a left ankle sprain, Curtis adds.
- Veterans Klay Thompson and D’Angelo Russell are two other trade candidates for the Mavs, but neither player seems to have much of a market, sources tell Afseth. While one Eastern executive told Afseth he thinks Thompson can still contribute on a contending team, his contract — he’s earning $16.7MM this season and $17.5MM in 2026/27 — isn’t viewed positively. Russell, meanwhile, is shooting a career-low 29.5% from three-point range, has been out of the rotation for most of the past month, and holds a $6MM player option for ’26/27.
Mavericks Sign Jeremiah Robinson-Earl To 10-Day Deal
4:34 pm: Robinson-Earl’s 10-day hardship contract is now official, per the Mavericks (Twitter link).
2:47 pm: The Mavericks have signed forward Jeremiah Robinson-Earl to a 10-day contract, reports Christian Clark of The Athletic (Twitter link). While Dallas has yet to formally confirm the agreement, Clark says it’s a done deal and that Robinson-Earl will be active on Thursday vs. Utah.
The Mavericks have a full 15-man standard roster but won’t need to waive anyone to make room for Robinson-Earl. They’ve been granted a hardship exception, Clark explains, allowing them to carry a 16th man for the time being.
A team qualifies for a hardship exception if it has at least four players who have missed three or more consecutive games and are expected to be sidelined for at least two more weeks. Big man Anthony Davis has now been out for three games due to his hand injury, so he meets that criteria, as do Kyrie Irving, Dereck Lively II, and Dante Exum.
In addition to those players dealing with longer-term injuries, the Mavs may be missing a few more regulars on the wing and in the frontcourt on Thursday. Cooper Flagg (left ankle sprain) and Max Christie (illness) are considered doubtful to play, while Daniel Gafford (right ankle sprain) and P.J. Washington (right ankle injury management) are listed as questionable.
Robinson-Earl, 25, has appeared in 214 total regular season games for Oklahoma City, New Orleans, and Indiana since making his NBA debut in 2021. In 17 games for the Pacers earlier this season, the 6’8″ forward averaged 4.6 points and 5.2 rebounds in 17.6 minutes per night, but made just 34.9% of his field goal attempts, well below his career rate.
Robinson-Earl signed a pair of hardship 10-day contracts with Indiana in November, then was retained on a rest-of-season deal when those contracts expired. However, that new deal was non-guaranteed and he was later waived to make room on the 15-man roster for Garrison Mathews.
In recent weeks, Robinson-Earl – who was with the Mavericks during the preseason – joined the Texas Legends and has been a standout for Dallas’ G League affiliate. In 11 regular season outings at the NBAGL level, he has posted averages of 19.3 PPG and 11.7 RPG with improved shooting numbers (.522/.347/.944).
The Mavericks entered the day operating about $1.3MM below their second-apron hard cap. Robinson-Earl will carry a cap hit of $131,970, moving the team’s salary slightly closer to that ceiling.
Injury Notes: Brunson, Garland, Flagg, Gafford, Avdija
Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson exited Wednesday’s loss to Sacramento after just five minutes of action due to a sprained right ankle, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post.
According to Bondy, Brunson wasn’t using crutches or wearing a walking boot when he left the arena, which is a positive sign. Still, the team figures to be careful with the two-time All-Star, who missed about a month last season – and multiple games this past November – when he sprained the same ankle.
The Knicks struggled without their star guard available for most of the night on Wednesday — Mikal Bridges, Karl-Anthony Towns, and OG Anunoby made a combined 16-of-47 shots (34.0%) from the floor en route to a 112-101 loss to the Kings. New York will be back in action on Thursday as the team visits Golden State.
Here are a few more injury-related notes from around the NBA:
- Cavaliers point guard Darius Garland suffered a right foot injury on Wednesday in Philadelphia and is considered doubtful to play on Friday in a rematch with the Sixers, head coach Kenny Atkinson said after Wednesday’s victory, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscription required). However, Donovan Mitchell told reporters that his teammate was in “good spirits” in the locker room. “That’s always a good sign,” Mitchell said. “That’s all we have.” Cavs wing Sam Merrill, who missed 14 games earlier in the season due to a right hand injury, also appeared to re-injured that hand on Wednesday and may miss time, Fedor notes.
- An already banged-up Mavericks squad lost two more players on Wednesday night vs. Denver, as Cooper Flagg exited the game with a left ankle sprain while Daniel Gafford aggravated a right ankle sprain he initially dealt with during training camp, writes Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal. It’s unclear if either player will be available when the Mavs host Utah on Thursday in the second game of a back-to-back set.
- Although Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija is unlikely to play on Thursday after missing Tuesday’s game vs. Golden State due to lower back soreness, it bodes well that his injury designation is “doubtful” rather than “out,” tweets Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report. That’s a signal that Avdija shouldn’t be facing an extended absence.
Mavericks Notes: Irving, Davis, Two-Ways, Flagg
The Mavericks are just 15-25 so far this season and are facing the prospect of being without star big man Anthony Davis for an extended period due to a hand injury. However, there have been no indications that the team is seriously considering the idea of shutting down point guard Kyrie Irving for the rest of the season, sources tell Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal.
Irving has spent most of the past year recovering from an ACL tear he sustained last March. While the Mavericks still haven’t provided any concrete updates on a potential timeline for the guard’s return to action, Afseth hears the “prevailing expectation” is that Irving is on track to play at some point after next month’s All-Star break.
According to Afseth, Irving looked “sharp, explosive, and efficient” while taking part in a full on-court workout with assistant coach Phil Handy during last week’s road trip. He showed no “visible hesitation” while taking part in those drills, which simulated game-like demands, Afseth adds.
Here’s more on the Mavericks:
- Head coach Jason Kidd didn’t have a concrete update on Monday when asked about Davis, who is reportedly seeking multiple medical opinions after sustaining ligament damage in his left hand. “I think that’s sometime this week that he’ll talk to the doctors,” Kidd said, per Eddie Sekfo of Mavs.com. “But there is no timetable when he’s going to make that announcement. The team is playing. We’ve been through this before, not just with AD. We’ve been hit with a lot of injuries the last two years. Next man up mentality.”
- Pointing out that Dallas is 5-15 when Davis doesn’t play this season, Christian Clark of The Athletic suggests the big man’s latest injury might actually be a blessing in disguise for the team, which could benefit from landing another high pick in the 2026 draft. After this year, the Mavs won’t control their own first-round selection again until 2031.
- Players on two-way contracts can be active for up to 50 regular season games, and Moussa Cisse (34) and Ryan Nembhard (33) are both on track to reach their limits in February. According to Kidd, Dallas is monitoring those figures very closely. “We’re good at that because we went through that last year,” Kidd said. “We all have dates for those guys if they play all the way out when they expire. We’ll be able to manage those from our experiences with last year’s two-ways.” The Mavs could eliminate that 50-game restriction by promoting Cisse and/or Nembhard to the 15-man roster, but they don’t currently have an open spot available and have limited cap flexibility below their second-apron hard cap.
- The last rookie to be named to the NBA’s All-Star Game was Blake Griffin in 2011. Could Cooper Flagg achieve the feat this year? Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News explores that subject, noting that Flagg is at least a lock to play in the Rising Stars event. “We hope that he does make the ‘big game’ and he gets voted in,” Kidd said. “He’s playing at a high level for a young player. He’s taking on the best defender. He’s trying to help his team win. He’s been very successful in late game. Hopefully he’s in the ‘big game,’ but he will participate in the ‘little game.'”
Latest On Anthony Davis
Although the Mavericks will continue fielding calls on Anthony Davis, team sources insist to Christian Clark and Sam Amick of The Athletic that the front office feels no urgency to move the star big man. As Clark and Amick explain, the Mavs have signaled that they’d like to see Davis play alongside Kyrie Irving and Cooper Flagg and can envision a scenario in which he stays in Dallas long-term.
A report earlier this week indicated that Davis’ preference would be to remain in Dallas and sign a contract extension with the Mavericks. However, AD’s representatives at Klutch Sports, led by CEO Rich Paul, aren’t convinced the Mavs are interested in extending their client and wouldn’t mind getting him to a team more likely to pursue a new contract agreement, league sources tell The Athletic.
While Davis and his camp haven’t requested a trade, Clark and Amick suggest that Paul has encouraged the Mavericks to be “more aggressive” in gauging the 32-year-old’s market rather than waiting for teams to call.
Here’s more from The Athletic’s latest report on where things stand with Davis:
- As previously reported, the Hawks and Raptors are among the teams with Davis on their radar, but it’s unclear how motivated either team will be to get a deal done with Dallas. Atlanta wouldn’t want to take on Davis’ contract without moving Trae Young, who doesn’t appeal to the Mavericks, Clark and Amick write, while a deal with Toronto would require the Mavs to take on significant multiyear money.
- As Amick wrote last week, the door isn’t completely closed on the idea of a trade sending Davis to Golden State. However, with the Warriors still “staunchly” opposed to giving up Jimmy Butler or Draymond Green in such a deal, there’s no feasible path to a salary-matching fit.
- The Bucks are among the teams to convey interest in Davis, league sources tell Clark and Amick. Milwaukee is probably a long shot though, since the club is short on appealing assets and also lacks sizable contracts for matching purposes.
- Many league insiders believe the Mavericks will have to wait until the offseason to find a deal they like for Davis, but there’s also a sense that the lack of dominant teams in the Eastern Conference could make one of those potential contenders more inclined to take a shot on Davis during the season, per Clark and Amick. “Every team in the East believes they’re an Anthony Davis away from making the (NBA) Finals,” a high-level source explained to The Athletic.
Mavericks Notes: Flagg, Davis, Christie, Washington
Although he had an excellent December in being named the NBA’s Western Conference Rookie of the Month for the second straight time, Cooper Flagg‘s energy and production have noticeably dipped over the past few games as the Mavericks forward adjusts to the rigors of an 82-game season, writes Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News.
“He’s playing a lot of minutes,” head coach Jason Kidd said before Saturday’s game. “So to touch this rookie wall that I think he’s touching right now, and to be able to play through it is a positive.”
As Townsend observes, 2025’s No. 1 overall pick has already eclipsed the total minutes he played last season at Duke and ranks seventh in the league in minutes played.
Flagg got in early foul trouble Saturday, Townsend notes, and has been struggling with his shot over the past three games, converting just 29.8% of his 15.7 field goal attempts and averaging 12.3 points. But he’s still contributing in other ways, with 7.0 assists, 6.7 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game over that stretch.
Here’s more from Dallas:
- The Mavericks snapped a four-game losing streak Saturday behind strong performances from former Lakers Anthony Davis and Max Christie, per Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal. Star big man Davis finished with 26 points (on 9-of-15 shooting), 12 rebounds, three assists and five blocks in 39 minutes. It was his 36th career game with at least 25 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks, tying Tim Duncan for the seventh-most games with that stat line in league history, Afseth adds.
- As for Christie, the 22-year-old has been playing his best basketball of the season over the past three games, averaging 22.3 PPG, 3.7 RPG and 3.0 APG on .657/.550/1.000 shooting. The 6’5″ shooting guard finished Saturday’s game with 24 points (on 10-of-13 shooting) and seven rebounds and also recorded three dunks, which he joked about afterward, according to Afseth. “Three might be the most of my career,” Christie said, laughing. “It felt good to be athletic out there, to be able to attack the rim and get a couple of dunks.”
- P.J. Washington was limited to just 12 minutes Saturday after spraining his right ankle, tweets Townsend. The Mavs ruled the veteran forward out for the remainder of the game due to the injury.
Jalen Brunson, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Win Player Of The Month Awards
A pair of star point guards and MVP candidates have been named the NBA’s Players of the Month for December, with Jalen Brunson of the Knicks winning the award in the East and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Thunder claiming it in the West, per the league (Twitter link).
Brunson was named Player of the Week twice in December and led the Knicks to an NBA Cup championship. He averaged 30.6 points, 7.1 assists, and 3.2 rebounds per contest in 13 December outings, posting a strong shooting line of .475/.405/.826 and leading his team to a 10-3 record in the games he played.
Those stats don’t include the NBA Cup final, which doesn’t count toward the regular season, but he was excellent in that game too, racking up 25 points and eight assists as the Knicks toppled the Spurs.
Gilgeous-Alexander, meanwhile, continued to strengthen his case for a second consecutive Most Valuable Player award in 12 December appearances, with averages of 31.4 points, 6.1 assists, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game, and a scorching-hot .594/.436/.882 shooting line.
Gilgeous-Alexander now ranks second in the NBA in scoring (32.1 PPG), while his Thunder – following a 9-4 December – hold the league’s best record at 29-5.
It’s the third time Brunson has won a Player of the Month award and the fifth time Gilgeous-Alexander has earned the honor. Pistons guard Cade Cunningham and Nuggets center Nikola Jokic were the NBA’s first Players of the Month this season, for games played in October and November.
Cunningham was also nominated for the Eastern Conference award in December, along with Celtics wing Jaylen Brown, Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey, Raptors forward Brandon Ingram, Hawks forward, Jalen Johnson, Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell, Nets forward Michael Porter Jr., and Brunson’s teammate Karl-Anthony Towns, according to the NBA (Twitter link).
The other Western Conference nominees were Jokic, Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, Warriors guard Stephen Curry, Rockets forward Kevin Durant, Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox, Jazz guard Keyonte George, Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg, Trail Blazers teammates Deni Avdija and Shaedon Sharpe, Timberwolves teammates Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle, and Lakers teammates Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves.
Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel Named December’s Rookies Of The Month
For a second consecutive month, former Duke teammates Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel have been named the NBA’s Rookies of the Month for the Western Conference and Eastern Conference, respectively, the league announced today (Twitter link).
Flagg, this year’s No. 1 overall pick, averaged 23.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.2 blocks, and 1.0 steal in 35.5 minutes per game in 13 outings this past month for the Mavericks, making 51.6% of his shots from the floor and 80.8% from the free throw line.
While Dallas still hasn’t looked like a playoff team – the Mavs went 6-7 in December – Flagg is showing why he was the consensus top prospect in the 2025 draft class and is considered one of the best rookies to enter the NBA in the past decade. He’s the NBA’s youngest player, having turned 19 on December 21.
Although Flagg has taken over as the betting favorite in the Rookie of the Year race, that’s through no fault of Knueppel, who showed no signs of slowing down after his hot start to the season. In 12 games in December, the Hornets sharpshooter averaged 20.8 PPG, 4.7 APG, and 4.2 APG, with an outstanding .500/.462/.903 shooting line.
Only Donovan Mitchell and Stephen Curry have made more three-pointers so far this season than Knueppel, who knocked down 4.0 per game in December and now has 117 on the season.
Grizzlies forward Cedric Coward, Spurs guard Dylan Harper, Mavericks guard Ryan Nembhard, Pelicans big man Derik Queen, and Kings center Maxime Raynaud were also nominated for the Western Conference Rookie of the Month award, while Nets guard Egor Demin, Sixers guard VJ Edgecombe, and Wizards guard Tre Johnson were nominated in the East (Twitter link).
And-Ones: Simmons, NCAA, Rookies, Tanking, 2026 Draft
After recently confirming to Marc J. Spears of Andscape that he continues to work toward a potential NBA comeback, former No. 1 overall pick and three-time All-Star Ben Simmons spoke to Sam Jane of The Athletic about why he has been in no rush to sign a new contract. As Simmons explains, recurring back issues have resulted in him playing – and living – through pain for several years.
“(It’s) one of those things where you’re dealing with it every day, sitting down, going to sleep, flying on planes,” Simmons said. “People don’t understand that.”
According to Simmons, he determined it would be in his best interest to take a more extended rehab period after the 2024/25 season rather than immediately signing a new contract and once again reporting to a team’s camp at less than 100%. His goal as he works out in Los Angeles, he tells Jane, is to become “bulletproof” to avoid more health-related setbacks.
“I’m about to be 30 years old, and I need to make the best decision for Ben Simmons,” Simmons said. “It’s not fun going out there, not being able to move, not be able to jump, or, you know, take hits. There’s no fun in that. Sometimes you got to make a decision with how you feel and what’s best for yourself. And that’s what I’ve done, and it’s not for everybody to really understand, because they’re not in my shoes.”
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Amid reports that college basketball coaches are reaching out to players with NBA experience, Jeff Goodman of Field of 68 (Twitter links) hears from a source that the NCAA has yet to grant eligibility to anyone who has played in NBA games. Asked if that could happen, an NCAA spokesperson provided the following statement: “Schools are recruiting and seeking eligibility for more individuals with more international, semi-pro, and professional experience than ever before and while the NCAA members have updated many rules following the House injunction, more rules must likely be updated to reflect the choices member schools are making. At the same time, NCAA eligibility rules have been invalidated by judges across the country wreaking havoc on the system and leading to fewer opportunities for high school students, which is why the Association is asking Congress to intervene in these challenges.”
- A little over two months into the NBA season, Sam Vecenie of The Athletic has updated his rookie rankings, evaluating first-year players based on how they’ve performed so far in 2025/26. The top four players on Vecenie’s list are the same ones selected with the first four picks in the 2025 draft: Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg, Hornets wing Kon Knueppel, Sixers guard VJ Edgecombe, and Spurs guard Dylan Harper. Pelicans big man Derik Queen rounds out Vecenie’s top five.
- With the NBA reportedly considering rule changes to further disincentivize tanking, Tony Jones, Eric Koreen, and Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic evaluate the rumored proposals, expressing the most enthusiasm for one that would prevent teams from drafting in the top four in back-to-back years.
- Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report spoke to three scouts about who should be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft, with each of those three scouts laying out the case for selecting a different prospect: Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, BYU forward AJ Dybantsa, and Duke forward Cameron Boozer.