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.
Latest On Anthony Davis, Trae Young
Atlanta is viewed as a “real-deal suitor” for Mavericks big man Anthony Davis, Marc Stein reports in his latest Substack post. Chris Haynes reported on Saturday morning that the Hawks remain “very intrigued” by the possibility of acquiring Davis, whom the team has been linked to for multiple weeks.
However, there are several complicating factors that could prevent a potential trade from coming together.
While Haynes reported that Trae Young would not be included in an outgoing package for Davis, Stein suggests the four-time All-Star point guard might have to be sent elsewhere to make a deal work for financial reasons. The Hawks are not known for being big spenders, Stein observes, and having Young ($48.97MM player option) and Davis ($58.46MM) under contract at the same time in 2026/27 would make the roster prohibitively expensive.
Like many other reporters, Stein hears Davis is expected to seek a lucrative long-term extension once he becomes eligible to sign one in August, whether he stays with Dallas or is moved to another team.
According to Stein, there’s a “growing belief” around the NBA that the Hawks are open to moving Young, but whether they’d actually be able to find a suitable deal for him remains to be seen. As Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported a couple weeks ago, rival executives think Young may end up having to exercise that player option, which doesn’t exactly point to a robust free agent or trade market.
Stein isn’t the only reporter to hear Atlanta could be looking to trade Young. ESPN’s Tim MacMahon said something similar on Monday’s Hoop Collective podcast (hat tip to Doric Sam of Bleacher Report).
“The Hawks certainly are indicating that they’re looking for the exit ramp with Trae Young,” MacMahon said. “They did not make any attempt to get him signed to an extension. When that’s the case with your face of the franchise, that’s a pretty clear message that the end could be near.”
MacMahon pointed to Ja Morant (Grizzlies) and LaMelo Ball (Hornets) as two other maximum-salaried point guards who are in similar situations as the Hawks and Young.
“If there is an attempt to trade these guys, it’s not going to be easy,” MacMahon said. “There’s not going to be some wide array of teams raising their hand and trying to get in on the bidding, and I’m not sure if you’re even gonna be able to make a trade that’s going to bring value in return.”
The Mavericks also already have Kyrie Irving in the backcourt, and while he’s still recovering from a torn ACL, it would make zero sense to pair him with a small, ball-dominant, defense-deficient guard like Young.
As for who the Hawks could send out for Davis, Stein says the team appears to be willing to part with 2024 No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher under the right circumstances, and points to the expiring contracts of Kristaps Porzingis and Luke Kennard as salary-matching pieces. But it’s unclear if Atlanta would be willing to offer draft compensation — or if Dallas would be interested in that proposal.
According to Stein, Hawks forward Jalen Johnson and the 2026 first-round pick Atlanta controls (the more favorable of the Pelicans’ and Bucks’ selections) are viewed as off-limits in any trade talks.
It’s also unclear how willing the Mavericks are to make an in-season deal involving Davis, as Stein hears governor Patrick Dumont is among a group of key executives who would like to see Irving, Davis and Cooper Flagg play together before making another major trade. Waiting until the offseason could be the prudent choice, depending on the types of offers the Mavs receive, Stein writes.
Haynes reported that the Warriors are considering making a run at Davis. According to Stein, while Golden State has a “longstanding fondness” for the 10-time All-Star, the team has reservations about his contract and lengthy injury history and doesn’t appear to be actively pursuing him.
As Stein notes, Jimmy Butler or Draymond Green would have to be included in a possible Davis deal for matching purposes, which is one reason why a trade looks unlikely at this time.
Stein continues to hear the Warriors are looking for the “best possible” deal centered around Jonathan Kuminga‘s $22.5MM contract once the fifth-year forward becomes trade-eligible on January 15.
The Hawks have gone 0-6 since Young returned to action earlier this month (he appeared in five of those games). He will miss Monday’s contest at Oklahoma City due to a right quad contusion, tweets Brad Rowland of Locked On Hawks. Johnson is also out with an illness.
Southwest Notes: Eason, Fox, Bey, Flagg
After he missed 14 games in November and December due to an oblique strain, Tari Eason‘s return has allowed the Rockets to try a new-look starting five. Eason replaced Josh Okogie in Houston’s new, jumbo-sized lineup in the last two games and has made an impact on both ends of the floor in back-to-back wins over the Lakers and Cavaliers, amassing six steals and three blocks while making 3-for-8 three-pointers.
“It was amazing to be out there. [Head coach Ime Udoka] finally trusted me to go out there. I just had to do what I do best,” Eason said, per The Athletic’s Will Guillory (via Twitter). “We had to get back to being dogs defensively, and I knew I could come out there and set the tone.”
Asked if he valued being in the starting lineup after spending the last few years as a reserve, Eason responded, “Yes, I do.”
We have more from around the Southwest Division:
- De’Aaron Fox missed the Spurs‘ game Saturday against the Jazz with left adductor tightness, but the team is optimistic that he won’t be out for long, according to Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News. “Not too many big concerns,” said head coach Mitch Johnson. “Obviously he’s out, so it’s real. But hopefully it will be short-term.” Johnson added that he started Julian Champagnie rather than Dylan Harper in order to keep the No. 2 overall pick in a more consistent role. “It goes a long way for players to expect if they’re going to play, when they’re going to play, when do they come out,” Johnson said. “They are creatures of habit from when they wake up to when they go to bed. I think being able to help provide consistency where you can (is important).” The Spurs have gone 17-5 in games that Fox has played this season.
- Saddiq Bey was something of an afterthought coming into this season for the Pelicans, having not played a game since March 2024, when he tore his ACL. But following a trade from the Wizards to the Pelicans this summer, Bey knew he had been given a second chance to establish himself as a reliable rotation player, writes Rod Walker of NOLA.com. “Just to be wanted at that time after not playing in a year and a half meant a lot to me,” Bey said. “New Orleans was showing that they still believed in me and that meant the world to me.” Bey has responded to the opportunity by averaging 14.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.2 assists while starting 24 of the 32 games he played this season. “He’s been incredible all year,” said coach James Borrego. “He’s built for these moments. He doesn’t shy away from it.” Bey said that the experience has given him a new perspective on his career: “I feel like I owe it to the front office, the city and this organization for believing in me. Every single game, I’m literally thanking God for letting me finish that game. Win or lose. I’ll never take another game for granted.”
- Mavericks‘ coach Jason Kidd went back to an early-season strategy in an attempt to grind out a win over the Kings without Anthony Davis: using Cooper Flagg as the de facto point guard, Christian Clark writes for The Athletic. The effort ended up coming in a 113-107 loss, but Flagg was able to help Dallas trim a 15-point halftime deficit to three points before Sacramento pulled away again. He finished with 23 points, six rebounds, and five assists, though he had five turnovers as well. “Once we had to sub, (the Kings’ lead) went back up to 18 (points),” Kidd said. “Just understanding the change — we talked about it at halftime — it gave us an opportunity to get us back in the game.”
Mavericks Notes: Flagg, Davis, Thompson
Although the Mavericks lost Thursday’s game at Golden State, No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg continued his impressive run of recent play, finishing with 27 points (on 13-of-21 shooting), six rebounds, five assists and one block in 36 minutes.
According to the Mavs (Twitter link), Flagg became just the third rookie in NBA history rookie to record a 25-5-5 stat line on Christmas Day, joining Oscar Robertson (1960) and Pete Maravich (1970).
In a post-game interview with ESPN’s Malika Andrews (Twitter video link), Warriors superstar Stephen Curry spoke highly of Flagg, who recently turned 19 years old.
“Just a true hooper,” Curry said. “Competitor. We forget how young he is, just his presence out there on the court. The future is bright. I’m glad he got this experience his first year to understand what the bright lights feel like. The league is in good hands.”
Here are a few more notes on the Mavericks:
- The Mavs didn’t just drop yesterday’s game, they also lost star big man Anthony Davis to a right groin strain. While the injury is considered relatively mild, the 32-year-old is expected to miss multiple games. Davis is now ineligible for major postseason awards just 32 games into the season, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link). In addition to the 16 contests Davis has missed, he was also forced to leave a pair of games early due to injuries and didn’t meet the 15-minute minimum requirement in either of those appearances in order for them to count toward his games played total for awards purposes, Marks notes.
- According to Jeff Stotts of InStreetClothes.com (Twitter link), this is the 13th groin-related injury of Davis’ 14-year career. The veteran forward/center has missed an average of 2.7 games (eight days) due to his various groin ailments, Stotts adds, a bit better than the league average for a nondescript groin strain (3.6 games and 9.7 days).
- Klay Thompson returning to the Bay Area was supposed to be part of the appeal of Christmas Day matchup between the Mavs and Warriors, but it’s clear both sides have moved on a year-and-a-half after the 35-year-old wing landed with Dallas via sign-and-trade, writes Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic. “They are an opponent,” said Klay Thompson, who finished with seven points on 3-of-8 shooting in 26 minutes. “Why would I look at any other team other than the Mavericks like that? It’s just the nature of the business.”
Southwest Notes: Zion, Flagg, G. Jackson, Small, Spurs
The Pelicans‘ surprising five-game winning streak came to an end on Tuesday in Cleveland, but the team still got some positive news, as forward Zion Williamson played in both games of a back-to-back set for the first time in 14 months, writes Rod Walker of NOLA.com (subscription required).
Williamson, who last played in a back-to-back in October 2024, logged 21 minutes vs. the Cavaliers after playing 25 minutes against Dallas on Monday. The former No. 1 overall pick has now played five consecutive games since sitting for six in a row due to an adductor strain.
“Z is progressing well,” head coach James Borrego said before Tuesday’s game. “He looks well. He’s getting in better shape every game, every day. His mentality is right. His spirit is right. That’s the biggest thing for me. The mindset is right. The body is coming along every day. Getting better and better.”
Williamson poured in 26 points on 9-of-15 shooting against Cleveland, but the Pelicans struggled defensively in his 21 minutes of action and were outscored by 17 points with the 25-year-old on the court.
We have more from around the Southwest:
- Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg, who celebrated his 19th birthday over the weekend, racked up 33 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists in a victory over Denver on Tuesday. Flagg’s big night earned him high praise from Nuggets star Nikola Jokic, who said the rookie doesn’t look like a first-year NBA player, per ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. “I’m going to say the poise that he played with, he doesn’t feel like he’s so young out there,” Jokic said. “He seems like he played meaningful games and he was winning before. That’s my opinion. He looked really mature out there.”
- GG Jackson II‘s contributions have been inconsistent since his breakout rookie season as a second-round pick in 2023/24, but the Grizzlies forward made the most of his first start of the season on Tuesday, writes Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. With Cedric Coward out due to left heel soreness, Jackson scored a season-high 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting while pulling down nine rebounds in a win over Utah. As Cole notes, Jackson looked more decisive on Tuesday after working over the summer on dribbling less when he gets the ball.
- Grizzlies guard Javon Small returned to action on Tuesday from his turf toe injury, suiting up for the first time since November 7, Cole writes in the same story. Cam Spencer has been Memphis’ starting point guard with Ja Morant out, but Smart played 12 minutes off the bench and handed out seven assists.
- San Antonio knocked off the defending champions for the second time in 10 days on Tuesday, but Victor Wembanyama is hesitant to dub Spurs/Thunder a “rivalry,” as Michael C. Wright of ESPN relays. “It feels like saying it’s a rivalry would be a weird thing because it’s something that builds naturally,” Wembanyama explained. “I didn’t say that it’s impossible that it can be (a rivalry) in the future. I hope it will be soon. But we’re definitely getting closer.” The two teams will meet against on Thursday in what could end up being the marquee matchup of the NBA’s Christmas Day schedule.
Injury Notes: Warriors, Antetokounmpo, Suggs, Flagg, Lively
Jonathan Kuminga is expected to be available on Monday after missing the Warriors‘ win over the Suns on Saturdaydue to an illness, reports The Athletic’s Nick Friedell (Twitter link).
Friedell notes that Kuminga was at Golden State’s film session on Sunday. The 23-year-old forward has only played in one of the Warriors’ previous five games, as he has been in and out of coach Steve Kerr‘s rotation even when he’s active.
Friedell adds that Al Horford and Seth Curry are still out with back and glute injuries, respectively.
Horford has only played 13 games this season, his first with Golden State, and has suited up for two of the team’s last 13 contests. He’s averaging career lows in points and rebounds.
Curry has played just two games since joining the Warriors on December 1. He scored 14 points in just under 18 minutes in his season debut, but was held scoreless in his second outing.
We have more injury news from around the league:
- Giannis Antetokounmpo remains out with the calf strain that has kept him sidelined since early December, but he participated in the Bucks‘ shootaround before Sunday’s contest against the Timberwolves, according to Eric Nehm of The Athletic (Twitter video link). Head coach Doc Rivers previously stated that the team would be cautious with their star forward’s recovery process, but this marked a step in the right direction for the two-time MVP.
- Jalen Suggs is listed as questionable for the Magic‘s game against the Warriors on Monday due to a left hip contusion, notes Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel (via Twitter). Suggs has missed the team’s last two games due to the injury. Beede adds that Tristan Da Silva is questionable with a shoulder contusion.
- Mavericks rookie forward Cooper Flagg is questionable for Monday’s game against the Pelicans with a back contusion, writes Mike Curtis of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). The No. 1 overall pick has been on a hot streak of late, averaging 27.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.8 blocks over his last four games. Curtis adds that Klay Thompson (left knee soreness), Max Christie (illness), and two-way players Moussa Cisse and Miles Kelly are all questionable for the game as well.
- Dereck Lively II underwent successful surgery on his right foot, the Mavericks announced via their team Twitter account. It was reported on December 10 that Lively would undergo season-ending surgery to address ongoing discomfort in the foot. The operation was performed in London.