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Mavs Notes: Edwards, Prosper, Klay, Hardy, Exum, Kleber

January 24th, 2025 at 5:13pm CST by Luke Adams

With the Mavericks missing several important contributors due to injuries, head coach Jason Kidd told reporters on Wednesday that the team’s “young players are going to get a lot of reps,” as Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News writes.

Kidd made good on that promise on Thursday. On the second end of a back-to-back set, facing the top-seeded Thunder in Oklahoma City, two-way player Kessler Edwards started and played a season-high 23 minutes, while second-year forward Olivier-Maxence Prosper saw 21 minutes off the bench.

Dallas was outscored by eight points with Prosper on the court and by seven points during Edwards’ minutes, but the duo helped keep the banged-up club in the game, combining for 21 points on 6-of-9 shooting, along with seven rebounds and a pair of steals. With veterans Kyrie Irving (24 points), P.J. Washington (22 points), and Spencer Dinwiddie (28 points) doing the rest of the heavy lifting, the Mavs picked up an impressive 121-115 victory.

“I thought this was a character win, maybe the best win of the season,” Kidd said, per Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com. “Shorthanded, next-man-up mentality.”

While the Thunder have looked like the class of the Western Conference this season, the Mavs seem to have their number. After knocking Oklahoma City out of the playoffs last spring, Dallas has gone 3-1 against the conference leaders this season. OKC is 35-5 against everyone else.

“To go against this team four times and come out 3-1, that’s where I feel like we laid our hat on,” Irving said, according to Sefko. “So we know we can play with the best. Now we got to build on that consistency. The last few games, we have not been as consistent as we’d like. (It was a) gutsy win.”

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Of Dallas’ many injured players, Klay Thompson (left ankle sprain) and Jaden Hardy (right ankle sprain) appear the closest to returning. They’ve been listed as questionable for Saturday’s game vs. Boston, tweets Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal. Naji Marshall (illness) and Dwight Powell (right hip strain) are still listed as out and will miss a third and fourth consecutive game, respectively, joining Luka Doncic, Dereck Lively, and Dante Exum on the injured list.
Although Exum has been shooting and ramping up his activity, his return is still a long ways off, Kidd said on Thursday (Twitter link via Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News). The veteran guard has been recovering from wrist surgery since October and has yet to make his season debut.
According to Kidd, the Mavericks’ training staff currently has big man Maxi Kleber on a restriction of 20 minutes per game. Kleber’s importance has increased with Lively on the shelf for the foreseeable future, but after dealing with an oblique issue near the start of the month, he hasn’t logged more than 20:14 in a game since January 7.

Mavericks Notes: Injuries, Irving, Gafford, Exum, Washington

January 20th, 2025 at 8:41pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The shorthanded Mavericks lost to Charlotte, 110-105, on Monday afternoon and have now lost nine of their last 12 games, all with Luka Doncic sidelined by a calf strain.

Dereck Lively (right ankle sprain) was downgraded from questionable to out earlier in the day, while Quentin Grimes (back spasms) was a late scratch, Grant Afseth of the Dallas Hoops Journal notes. Jaden Hardy (right ankle sprain), Dwight Powell (right hip strain) and Dante Exum (right wrist surgery) have been out for an extended period.

“It would be nice at this point in the season to have everyone healthy,” said Kyrie Irving, who recently returned from a back injury. “I’ve missed 10 games, and that’s not something I set as a goal for myself coming into the season. I want to play as many games as possible. But with my MRI coming back on my back and D. Live going down, Luka going down, J. Hardy going down, and other people missing games, it’s unfortunate.”

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Daniel Gafford‘s career-high 31 points, 15 rebounds, and seven blocks went to waste on Monday. “Yeah, I’m frustrated when you get a game like that, but you don’t come out with a win,” Gafford said after the game, per Afseth. “It’s pretty frustrating, but I don’t really want to, you know, be too selfish. You know, I felt like we did a lot of things great out there on the floor to put us in a position to win the game.” The team is reportedly willing to trade Gafford for a top-level perimeter defender.
Speaking of Exum, coach Jason Kidd said the veteran guard has been shooting, but he’s “still a ways away” before a timetable can be established regarding a return to action, Afseth tweets. Exum has yet to make his season debut after appearing in 55 regular season games last season. He underwent his wrist surgery in October.
P.J. Washington is averaging 32.5 minutes per game, more than any other Dallas player not named Doncic or Irving. Washington’s defensive versatility is an essential element, Christian Clark of The Athletic writes. He’ll continue to draw the toughest assignments, even if the front office makes a trade to improve the perimeter defense. “I feel like I can guard anybody,” Washington said. “I feel like I’m comfortable guarding smalls, bigs, it doesn’t really matter.”

Mavericks Notes: Hardy, Dinwiddie, Grimes, Irving, Doncic, Exum

January 11th, 2025 at 5:05pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jaden Hardy is giving the Mavericks the offensive lift they need with their two stars sidelined by injuries, writes Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. The third-year guard is coming off a season-high 25-point performance in Thursday’s win over Portland, and Curtis notes that since December 28, Hardy is leading the NBA in three-point field goal percentage at 55.6%.

“He’s starting to get into a groove,” coach Jason Kidd said. “You see that on the offensive end. Defensively, he’s competing and giving it everything we’re asking him to do. … I think the more minutes he’s playing, he’s becoming more comfortable with what we’re asking him to do. We need that with everybody out.”

Hardy is becoming the scoring threat the Mavs envisioned when they gave him a three-year, $18MM extension in October. He has scored in double figures in the last five games — the longest stretch of his career — and Dallas is 10-4 when he posts at least 10 points.

“Just sticking to what I’ve been doing,” Hardy said. “Extra work. Extra film. Asking the coaches questions. ‘What can I do better to help the team?’ Just trying to bring energy whenever I get out there and bring a spark.”

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Spencer Dinwiddie has also been playing an important role while Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving are out of action, per Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com. Dinwiddie, who has become the primary lead guard, had 17 points, five rebounds and five assists against Portland after compiling 19 points, six rebounds and eight assists Tuesday against the Lakers. “The pick and roll, the tempo of getting downhill, the ball touching the paint and being able to make plays,” Kidd said in describing what Dinwiddie brings to the offense. “We need that while those two are out, and even when those two come back we need him to continue to play that way.”
Quentin Grimes talks to Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal (Substack link) about a number of topics, including the adjustments he needed to make after being traded from Detroit to Dallas over the summer. “Being on a new team, I’ve had to learn the system and all the nuances defensively,” he said. “I try to keep everyone focused on building good habits, even when things are going well. We want to be in the playoffs and compete for a championship, so I’m trying to help keep us on that path.”
Irving is making progress in his recovery from a bulging disc in his back and was able to do some spot-shooting drills after today’s practice, Afseth adds in a separate story. Doncic did some light shooting without jumping, but Kidd cautioned that there are several steps to be cleared before a timetable can be set for his return. Kidd is optimistic about Dante Exum, who has been sidelined since hurting his right wrist in training camp. “He’s doing a great job with his rehab,” Kidd said. “I think he’s out to the three-point line shooting now, so a lot of positives there. And then it’s just a matter of getting the scheduled appointment to check to see how the wrist is doing and then go from there. But he’s in great shape. He’s done a lot of solo workouts.”

Doncic Has Wrist Injury, Out At Least One Week

November 21st, 2024 at 9:37am CST by Dana Gauruder

10:06am: Doncic underwent an MRI which revealed a right wrist sprain, the team’s PR department tweets.

9:37am: Add Luka Doncic to the list of superstar players missing multiple games this season due to an injury.

Doncic is dealing with a right wrist injury and will be reevaluated in a week, Marc Stein reports (Twitter link).

The Mavericks guard was wearing a wrap around his wrist when he met the media after Tuesday’s game against New Orleans, Grant Afseth of the Dallas Hoops Journal notes (Twitter link). Doncic scored 26 points in 30 minutes during that victory over New Orleans.

“I started feeling it in the first quarter, but then it just got worse, but nothing serious,” Doncic said when asked about his wrist injury.

Doncic didn’t practice on Wednesday. He is averaging 28.1 points, 7.6 rebounds and 7.6 assists per game this season.

Dallas had just started to hit its stride, winning three straight contests heading into a three-game road trip. The Mavericks’ next game is at Denver on Friday. They also have games on Sunday, Monday and Wednesday, so Doncic will miss at least four contests.

Jaden Hardy, Quentin Grimes and Spencer Dinwiddie could all see increased playing time in his absence.

Mavericks Notes: Grimes, Hardy, Kleber, G League

October 27th, 2024 at 6:45pm CST by Luke Adams

The Mavericks made Quentin Grimes a three-year offer prior to last Monday’s deadline for rookie scale extensions, according to veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein (Substack link), but the fourth-year wing opted to pass on it in the hopes that he can boost his stock this season by playing alongside Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving for the defending Western Conference champions.

According to Stein, Dallas’ extension offer to Grimes was believed to be in the same range as the deal Naji Marshall signed as a free agent in July, which was worth $27MM over three years. Rather than locking in that deal, the 24-year-old will take his chances in restricted free agency next summer.

Grimes, who had a disappointing injury-plagued season in New York and Detroit in 2023/24, hasn’t gotten off to a fast start as a Maverick this fall. Through his first two games, he has scored just two points on 1-of-6 shooting and grabbed a pair of rebounds in nearly 21 total minutes of action.

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Although Jaden Hardy would have remained eligible to sign a veteran contract extension with the Mavericks anytime up until June 30, 2025, Stein hears that the team “pushed for a resolution” before the season began. Hardy’s new three-year, $18MM deal, which begins in 2025/26, will give the front office a more complete picture of its cap situation going forward as it considers possible moves during the season and leading up to next year’s draft.
Mavericks forward/center Maxi Kleber sustained a right hamstring injury during the team’s loss to Phoenix on Saturday and is being listed as questionable for Monday’s contest against Utah, writes Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal (Substack link). If Kleber has to miss any time, it could open up more opportunities at the four for Marshall, with non-rotation big man Dwight Powell a candidate to move up the depth chart.
The Texas Legends – Dallas’ G League affiliate – have announced their training camp roster, per Noah Weber of The Smoking Cuban (Twitter link). Jamarion Sharp and Emanuel Miller are among the Legends players who were in NBA camp with the Mavs this fall.

Mavericks Notes: Thompson, Doncic, Gafford, Lively, Hardy

October 25th, 2024 at 9:00am CST by Arthur Hill

The uniform was different, but otherwise Klay Thompson delivered a familiar performance Thursday night. Playing his first game for the Mavericks, Thompson hit six three-pointers and scored 22 points in 26 minutes in a win over San Antonio. In addition to providing the defending Western Conference champs with another outside shooting threat, Thompson showed he can still impact the game in other ways, collecting seven rebounds and three steals, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPN.

“Great debut,” he said. “It’s only one game in October, but it feels good just to get that first one out of the way. … Just a ton of excitement, really just an awesome feeling. And you only get the first time of something so often.”

Last night marked the first time Thompson has played alongside Luka Doncic, who missed the entire preseason due to a left calf contusion. They seemed to have instant chemistry, as four of Thompson’s threes came directly off Doncic passes.

“What an incredible talent,” Thompson said. “I mean, it doesn’t make any sense because what we’re taught growing up as far as being the best basketball player is you got to jump the highest, you got to run the fastest, but somehow Luka defies that. He plays at his own speed and manipulates the game as good as I’ve ever seen anyone do it. And it’s great to be a recipient of that and get great looks.”

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Even though he finished with finished with 28 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, Doncic felt the effects of sitting out the preseason, per Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. He shot just 8-of-21 on the night and felt like he played “terrible” despite nearly posting a triple-double. “I was telling someone that I was rusty the whole first half,” Doncic said. “The third quarter, it kind of opened up. The legs were back. It felt great just to be out there playing basketball.”
Head coach Jason Kidd wouldn’t reveal his starting center in his pregame meeting with reporters, according to Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal (subscription required), but he chose to go with Daniel Gafford and use Dereck Lively II off the bench. Both were productive, as Gafford had nine points, six rebounds and two assists in 18 minutes, while Lively put up 15 points, 10 rebounds and tied his career high with six assists in 27 minutes. “It’s an opportunity to start Gaff here, and we’ll look somewhere down the road to start D Live,” Kidd said. “But what I love about D Live coming off the bench is his energy, and that’s something that’s contagious. When you look at a team, there are going to be nights when we might be low energy, but D Live, as we’ve talked throughout preseason, we plug into him, and guys, you know, recharge or feed off that energy. He has a big responsibility with that second group.”
With a new three-year, $18MM extension in hand, Jaden Hardy appears to be an important part of the Mavericks’ second unit, Afseth adds. Kidd said Hardy has improved his play-making skills to complement his outside shooting as he begins his third NBA season.

Mavs’ Jaden Hardy Discusses Extension, Goals For Season

October 24th, 2024 at 7:51pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Former second-round pick Jaden Hardy signed a three-year, $18MM extension with the Mavericks earlier this week. Hardy, who is making just over $2MM this season, will earn a flat $6MM salary in each year of the extension, which kicks in during the 2025/26 season, tweets Keith Smith of Spotrac. As previously reported, the third year (2027/28) is a team option.

Hardy has made promising strides in Dallas over his first two seasons, averaging 7.9 points per game and making 37.9% of his three-pointers in 121 appearances since being the No. 37 overall pick. He appeared in 19 games during Dallas’s Finals run last season and led the Mavericks in scoring in the preseason with 15.0 PPG.

Fresh off his extension, he expressed gratitude to get the chance to stay with the team that offered him the runway to be a successful NBA player, as Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal writes.

“I’m super grateful for it to be in this position, to get to my second contract. Not a lot of players are able to do that,” Hardy said. “But I’m still not going to let this contract define me. I’ll keep working, I’m coming for more, and just staying humble.”

After securing a long-term deal, Hardy told Afseth he has a new goal in mind for this coming season.

“Really, this is where I want to be, ultimately. I can play my game and go out there freely,” Hardy said. “My main focus is winning the championship this year. But also, my goal is to win Sixth Man (of the Year).”

There are a few more interesting comments from Hardy and head coach Jason Kidd regarding the coming season.

Kidd on Hardy being extended:

“Yeah, well deserved. Just shows another case of patience. You look at the work he’s put in, and it’s well deserved for everybody around him.”

Kidd on what Hardy’s role will look like this coming season:

“Yeah, I think we’ll see how that goes with the different combinations that we’ll look at here early on. He’ll have an opportunity to play with [Kyrie Irving].”

Hardy on his communication with the coaching staff, per Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News:

“I’ve talked to Jason, asked him what it is that he wants to see from me. He just tells me that what I’ve been doing, to keep doing it. His big thing is for me to keep working and stay hungry.”

Rory Maher contributed to this post.

Hardy Signs Three-Year Extension With Mavs; No Extension For Grimes

October 22nd, 2024 at 6:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

OCTOBER 22: Hardy has officially signed his extension, according to Mavs PR (Twitter link).

OCTOBER 21: Third-year guard Jaden Hardy has agreed to a three-year, $18MM extension with the Mavericks, ESPN’s Shams Charania tweets. The final year of Hardy’s extension will include a team option, Tim MacMahon of ESPN tweets.

Hardy was a second-round pick in 2022 and the contract he’s signing is considered a veteran extension rather than a rookie scale extension.

He was eligible to sign at any point this season, unlike some other veterans who faced a Monday deadline. However, Hardy and the team chose to get the deal done sooner rather than later.

In related news, the Mavericks won’t be signing Quentin Grimes to a rookie scale extension, The Athletic’s Fred Katz tweets. Grimes will be headed to restricted free agency next summer.

Hardy has proved to be a valuable rotation player in his two NBA seasons. He saw action in 73 regular season games last season, including seven starts, averaging 7.3 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 13.5 minutes per contest. He’s established himself as a reliable three-point threat in his two seasons in Dallas (37.9%).

The 6’4” Hardy also played regularly in the postseason, albeit in limited minutes. He averaged 4.2 PPG in 6.8 MPG. He could have an opportunity for more minutes early in the 2024/25 season with Dante Exum sidelined due to wrist surgery.

Low-cost rotation players are extremely valuable to contenders with max contract players on their ledger, so Hardy’s willingness to sign for an average of $6MM per season was naturally an incentive for the Western Conference champions.

The Grimes news comes somewhat as a surprise, considering he was reportedly negotiating a three-year extension with Dallas. According to Marc Stein (Twitter link), despite some initial optimism, the two sides were unable to bridge a gap in their discussions during the final days leading up to Monday’s deadline.

Grimes, a late first-rounder in 2021, spent two-and-a-half seasons with the Knicks, then was dealt to the Pistons at the February trade deadline. Detroit included Grimes in the offseason Tim Hardaway Jr. deal.

Texas Notes: Thompson, Hardy, Collins, Johnson

October 13th, 2024 at 7:38pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Klay Thompson bristled as the notion that he can’t guard at a high level anymore and is eager to prove skeptics wrong, he told Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com.

“I still want to get rid of that notion that I’m not the same defender I once was,” Thompson said. “I truly believe I am. I’m excited to prove people wrong, that I can still guard the elite players in this league.”

The fact that he has joined a Mavericks team with two stars in Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic adds to that motivation.

“That’s a big reason why I came here, those two guys,” Thompson said. “(I have) big dreams and aspirations with this team. They were so close last year (reaching the NBA Finals) and I really feel we have everything we need.”

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Reserve guard Jaden Hardy is intent on establishing himself as a rugged defender, he told Grant Afseth of Sportskeeda.com. “Right now, I’m focused on defending the three better, picking up full court, and challenging guys while they bring the ball up,” he said. “I’m also working on being in the right spots on defense, communicating, and bringing energy.” Hardy will be a restricted free agent next summer.
Spurs big man Zach Collins made his preseason debut on Saturday after recovering from right shoulder surgery. He contributed 11 points in a win over Utah. “Considering (the layoff), I thought he looked really good,” coach Gregg Popovich said, per Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express News. “He boarded. He banged with people. He wasn’t afraid of the shoulder or anything like that.”
In the same preseason game, Keldon Johnson excelled as the Spurs’ sixth man, pouring in 20 points. Johnson shed 10 pounds during the offseason and believes that has made a difference in his performance level, he told McDonald. “I feel fast, I feel strong,” Johnson said. “Best I felt in a long time.”

Mavericks Notes: Gortman, Morris, C. Marshall, Backcourt

October 9th, 2024 at 8:37pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

In the competition for the Mavericks’ open two-way roster spot, point guard Jazian Gortman may have taken the lead, writes Dallas Hoops Journal’s Grant Afseth (Substack link).

Gortman went undrafted out of the Overtime Elite in 2023. He suited up for G League affiliate squads for the Bucks and Trail Blazers last season, but has yet to appear in an NBA game. The 6’2″ pro joined the Mavericks on a training camp deal after impressing in Summer League.

The Mavericks currently have one open two-way slot on their roster. Gortman and fellow camp invitees Emanuel Miller and Jamarion Sharp are on Exhibit 10 deals that could be converted to two-way contracts prior to the start of the regular season.

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According to Afseth, power forward Markieff Morris, currently on an Exhibit 9 training camp deal, is expected to earn a standard contract. Dallas’ decision to waive shooting guard A.J. Lawson, who finished last season with the team, clears the way for Morris to make the standard roster as the 15th man.
Mavericks CEO Cynthia Marshall intends to retire on December 31, reports Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. Marshall has been in her current role since 2018. “Cynt Marshall is a force of nature,” Dallas co-owner Patrick Dumont said in a team press statement. “I like to say her superpower is bringing people together, but the truth is she has many superpowers… Cynt has always gone above and beyond in everything she has done, and her leadership of the Dallas Mavericks is no exception. She is an indelible fixture in the history of this franchise, and we are eternally grateful.”
Now that Mavericks reserve guard Dante Exum is expected to miss the next three months following a right wrist surgery, there’s an opportunity for major rotation minutes for some of Dallas deeper-bench backcourt players, writes Afseth in another piece. “With Dante sidelined, we’re looking at guys like Brandon Williams and Spencer Dinwiddie to step up and fill those minutes,” head coach Jason Kidd said. “It’s unfortunate, but we have depth, and guys like Jaden Hardy will also have the chance to contribute more.” Afseth notes that, should Exum miss the reported three months, he’ll be sidelined for nearly half of the Mavericks’ regular season.
In case you missed it, newly-acquired young Mavericks guard Quentin Grimes, formerly of the Knicks, is looking to bring his considerable upside to bear for the reigning West champs in 2024/25.