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Mavs Notes: Davis, Doncic, Irving, Marshall, Thompson

February 27th, 2025 at 8:17am CST by Luke Adams

Anthony Davis wasn’t able to play on Tuesday in the Mavericks‘ first game against the Lakers since the blockbuster trade that sent Davis from Los Angeles to Dallas. But he was in the building and told Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times that he appreciated the tribute video the Lakers made for him and the love that the fans in L.A. showed him.

Davis also spoke about the experience of being traded without having any idea it was coming, a rarity for player with his résumé. Davis had been traded once before in his career, but in that case he asked the Pelicans to move him and knew for months that a deal was likely coming. After learning about the blockbuster sending him to Dallas, the big man immediately FaceTimed longtime teammate LeBron James, he told Turner.

“When it happened, I honestly didn’t know s–t,” Davis said. “(LeBron)’s been my running mate for six years … so the first thing I wanted to do was call him.

“… Obviously, I know there are going to be a lot of political things in the front office when they talk to me. The front office has to do what it has to do and obviously they’re going to do what’s best for the organization. So I don’t know if I ever got the ‘real’ about any of it. I don’t know what’s true or what’s not, coming from upstairs. So, my thing is, I’m gonna go to my counterpart who I’ve been running with and see what’s going on, get his reaction and that’s all it was. We had a conversation. That was it.

“Everybody’s saying nobody knew and all this other s–t. I just don’t believe it. But, hey man, I’m past that. I’m ready to move forward with Dallas, try to get a championship there with these guys. First off, getting back on the floor and get ready to compete. All the emotions, that s–t lasted that night when it was just a shock.”

Davis, who is currently on the shelf with an adductor strain, is scheduled to be reevaluated on March 6.

Here’s more on the Mavs:

As Sam Amick of The Athletic writes, there are a number of people in Dallas who are predicting Luka Doncic‘s “basketball demise” in the coming years due to his health history and social habits that include “a taste for beer and hookah.” But Doncic showed in Tuesday’s Lakers win over Dallas why the decision to trade him could age horribly, according to Amick, who says most people around the league continue to think that the Mavs made a “grave mistake.”
After having been teammates with Doncic for two years, it was “awkward” but “fun” to face him as an opponent, Kyrie Irving told reporters after Tuesday’s game, per Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. Irving spoke at length about his bond with Doncic and said it’s “one of those lifetime things” that goes beyond basketball. The Lakers’ newest star agreed. “Kai is my hermano,” Doncic said. “We go way beyond basketball. So, it was good to see those guys. Like I said, we went to the wars together, and it was really fun to see them all.”
Mavericks forward Naji Marshall acknowledged in a conversation with Mark Medina of Sportskeeda that it has been a challenging few weeks for the team, which has had to deal with the aftermath of the Doncic trade and a series of injuries that have decimated the frontcourt. However, he remains bullish about the Mavs’ chances of contending this season. “I think we’re all still locked in,” Marshall said. “Everyone is still focused and not letting the outside noise derail the goals that we made up at the beginning of the season. And it’s still very possible to accomplish those. So I think that we’re in a great spot. … Stay tuned. It’s a long season. We are not done yet. Stay tuned.”
Following Sunday’s game in Golden State, Mavericks sharpshooter Klay Thompson presented Dr. Richard Ferkel, who repaired Thompson’s Achilles tear in 2020, with a 2022 Warriors championship ring, as Amick relays (Twitter video link). Kalan Hooks of ESPN has the full story.

Mavs Notes: Irving, Doncic, Trade, Injuries, Davis, Martin

February 21st, 2025 at 2:29pm CST by Rory Maher

In an interview with ESPN’s Malika Andrews during All-Star weekend (YouTube link), star guard Kyrie Irving called for the Mavericks to “tailor back” their criticism of Luka Doncic, who was shockingly traded to the Lakers prior to the deadline earlier this month. As Grant Afseth writes for Athlon Sports, there have been numerous media leaks that have been critical of Doncic in the aftermath of the deal while glossing over how impactful he was during his time with the team.

“Part of our job every day to deal with the public space, but there were real relationships that were built behind the scenes that will transcend just the basketball court, coaching, and then upper management,” Irving told ESPN. “I know that for my own peace of mind, just because we not only had two years together, but we got a chance to know each other as men.

“Hopefully, we can tailor back on some of the public criticism aspects of it and really just maintain the kindness and the compassion that we have for each other that’s real every day, not just one moment or a sound bite that ends up being described as something that could be taken out of context. That’s what I feel like is going on right now. People are highly emotional. I’m not the one to shun anybody, whether in a public forum or behind the scenes, and trying not to have that happen.”

Here’s more on the Mavs:

In an in-depth feature story for ESPN.com, Michael Rothstein examines the local fallout from arguably the most stunning trade in NBA history, as well as the team’s botched handling of the aftermath, which included censoring Doncic out of a promotional video on Friday morning. One longtime Mavericks fan who is also the co-founder and managing partner of a local public relations firm said the trade and fallout were handled “atrociously,” according to Rothstein. “If all of them were aligned and able to articulate their rationale without bashing Luka,” said Stephen Reiff, “I think it would have helped, and I think it would have gone away quicker. [It] has made it a lot worse.”
Part of management’s rationale behind the deal was the idea of featuring a massive, defense-first frontcourt, with P.J. Washington at small forward, Anthony Davis at power forward and Daniel Gafford at center. As Christian Clark of The Athletic observes, that trio looked promising together through about three quarters on February 8 against Houston, but then Washington (ankle) and Davis (adductor strain) went down with injuries, followed by Gafford sustaining a Grade 3 MCL sprain on Feb. 10. Due to a litany of injuries up front (second-year center Dereck Lively has been out since January due to an ankle fracture), the Mavs have instead had to scramble and go small, Clark notes. “I’d say our goals are still obtainable,” head coach Jason Kidd said Thursday. “It’s a matter of, ‘Can we get healthy?’“
Kidd dodged a question about whether Davis’ “good progress” means he’ll avoid surgery, tweets Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. However, it certainly sounds like Davis is trending in the right direction. “I’m not a doctor,” Kidd said. “(Davis’ reevaluation is) in two weeks. I think you’ll get a better understanding of what has to take place but right now he’s doing great. He’s in the weight room. He was shooting on the court. A lot of positive things for him. I don’t know if that means surgery, but I think we’re all excited to see him back to work.”
Kidd also gave an update on Caleb Martin on Thursday, per Curtis (Twitter link). Acquired from Philadelphia in a trade involving Quentin Grimes and second-round picks, Martin still isn’t doing contact work as he recovers from a hip injury. “Caleb is doing better,” Kidd said. “I don’t know if you guys were in there when he was doing some dribbling and shooting on the court. No contact, but he is trending in the right direction. He feels better.”

And-Ones: 2025 FAs, College Jobs, MCW, WNBA, More

February 20th, 2025 at 7:31am CST by Luke Adams

A series of contract extensions have depleted the star-level talent in the NBA’s 2025 free agent class, but there will still be some notable names to watch this summer, as Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report and ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Insider link) detail.

Both Pincus and Marks have longtime NBA stars LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden atop their lists of 2025 free agents, with Marks positing that no player will have more leverage this offseason than Irving, given how badly the Mavericks need to retain the veteran point guard following the trade of Luka Doncic.

After James, Irving, and Harden, who have combined for 41 career All-Star appearances, the next tier of free agents consists of players like Myles Turner, Fred VanVleet, Jonathan Kuminga, Josh Giddey, and Timberwolves power forwards Julius Randle and Naz Reid. Interestingly, Pincus has Reid ranked ahead of the three-time All-Star he backs up, placing Reid at No. 5 and Randle at No. 7 in his early FA rankings.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

As is typical at this time of year, a number of NBA coaches and executives are receiving interest for jobs at the college basketball level, notes Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link). Fischer mentions Hornets executive Buzz Peterson and veteran player agent Jim Tanner as possible candidates for UNC’s general manager job and says Heat assistant Chris Quinn, Suns assistant David Fizdale, and Bucks assistant Dave Joerger are among the names to watch for the University of Miami’s head coaching position. Fischer adds that Kings assistant Luke Loucks has been linked to Florida State’s head coaching opening.
Former NBA Rookie of the Year Michael Carter-Williams is involved in a bid to bring an WNBA expansion franchise to Boston, according to Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. With expansion teams lined up for San Francisco, Portland, Toronto, and Cleveland, the WNBA will have 16 clubs by 2028, so it’s unclear whether or not the league will be looking to expand beyond that number right away.
Passing along the results of a player poll from All-Star weekend, Joe Vardon of The Athletic notes that the 14 respondents were unanimously against the idea of 10-minute quarters floated last month by commissioner Adam Silver. However, 12 of those 14 players liked the new All-Star tournament format.
The Lakers‘ and Pistons‘ G League affiliates completed a trade on Wednesday, with the South Bay Lakers acquiring forward Cole Swider from the Motor City Cruise in exchange for Chris Silva‘s returning rights and a 2025 first-round pick, per a press release. Silva is currently playing overseas, but Swider has been active in the G League and will begin suiting up for South Bay.

Kyrie Irving Considers Playing For Australia In 2028 Olympics

February 17th, 2025 at 9:01am CST by Arthur Hill

Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving, who won a gold medal with Team USA at the 2016 Olympics, is interested in representing Australia in the 2028 Games, writes Grant Afseth of Athlon Sports. Irving, who was born in Melbourne and has joint U.S. and Australian citizenship, has already explored the steps that would be necessary to make the change.

“Man, we’re in the process of that right now, just trying to figure out the best route for me to be eligible,” he said at All-Star Weekend. “There’s a lot of paperwork involved. Obviously, USA still has a decision to make, but for me, I’m just trying to do what’s best. Honestly, if I can be an Aussie at one point in my career and play for the Australian team, that would be great.”

Irving first floated the idea of switching teams last fall, Afseth adds. That came after he was passed over for the 2024 U.S. squad that captured gold in Paris, despite expressing his interest in playing to Team USA Managing Director Grant Hill on numerous occasions.

“I had communication with Grant throughout the season, but I think it was more or less a surprise that I wanted to play,” Irving said in an October interview with Sam Amick of The Athletic. “I think it was just a surprise that I wanted to play and [that] I was engaged. I speak on this from a healthy standpoint, like let me make sure that’s clear too. It wasn’t jealousy. It was like, ‘Oh, OK, this means that there’s an extra motivation, just naturally, where, OK, I guess 2028 [is the plan]?’ And maybe it’s not for Team USA. I’m just really proud of the [Team USA] guys, at the end of the day.”

Irving continues to put up elite numbers at age 32, averaging 24.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 44 games. However, Amick notes that he’ll be 36 when Los Angeles hosts the Games in 2028 and will face plenty of competition from younger American players.

His path toward an Olympic spot figures to be easier with Australia, although the Boomers have established themselves as one of the best teams in international basketball. Afseth states that Irving will need clearance from both USA Basketball and FIBA before he could play for Australia.

Mavericks Notes: Irving, Exum, All-Star Weekend

February 15th, 2025 at 6:52pm CST by Arthur Hill

His stays in Boston and Brooklyn both ended badly, but Kyrie Irving has found peace during his two years in Dallas, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Irving, who was selected for the All-Star Game after Anthony Davis suffered an injury, has resurrected his career with the Mavericks, Washburn observes, and has stopped talking to the press about topics other than basketball.

“I’m definitely having a lot more fun and I think it comes from understanding the big picture here while I’m in the league,” Irving said. “As a young player, you struggle with trying to live up to expectations, mentally stay strong, stay tough, follow your predecessors, read about their journeys, ask questions. Until you’re in situations and circumstances going through it yourself, you really have no idea how to handle it and I think that’s what these past few years have been about, obviously keeping my joy of the game but making sure I have a great environment, great support system around me, ready to keep me grounded.”

Irving hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down at age 32, averaging 24.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists through 44 games. He has become the unquestioned leader of the team in the wake of the Luka Doncic trade, and with a $44MM player option for next season, he’ll likely be getting a new long-term contract this summer. Washburn adds that Irving acknowledges he made mistakes in the past, but he has grown throughout his time in the NBA.

“I think I just had to get over the hurt of being let down by not only myself but the people I trusted,” he said. “Just innocence, once you lose your innocence in business, it’s hard to recover back from that, some people don’t recover back from that. That was the place I was in, innocence coming into the league, fresh-eyed, wide-eyed play a few years, end up leaving Cleveland, going to Boston and Brooklyn, my journey has not been perfect but I’ve been able to make sense of it, take accountability for my decisions and move forward with some great people around me and understand that I’m human, too.”

There’s more from Dallas:

Relying heavily on Irving is the Mavericks’ only hope of salvaging what has turned into a tumultuous season, states Tim Cowlishaw of The Dallas Morning News. Before sitting out Thursday’s game with a right shoulder issue, Irving logged 42, 40, 42, 44 and 40 minutes in the previous five contests. He’s been forced to adjust his game to look for his own shot more often, including a 42-point performance on Wednesday where he didn’t have any assists. “We joked about the 42 and zero last night, but it wasn’t like he didn’t have (potential) assists or wasn’t looking to pass,’’ coach Jason Kidd said. “The hockey assist (the pass that leads to the pass that leads to the points) has never been part of basketball, but you know it should be on the stat sheet. We keep everything else. But, yes, he’s going to get more shots and Klay (Thompson) has gotten more shots. Everybody will get more shots because (Doncic) was involved in everything.’’
The Mavericks got 27 points from Dante Exum on Thursday as they were able to defeat Miami despite missing their entire starting lineup, Cowlishaw adds. Exum has been putting up the best numbers of his career since returning from wrist surgery two weeks ago, averaging 11.7 PPG and shooting 56.4% from the field. “We missed him after day one of training camp,” Kidd said. “Not having him for most of the season, that’s a big hole but we never complained. We just waited for him to get back.”
New Mavericks CEO Rick Welts played a large role in turning the All-Star Game into All-Star Weekend, according to Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. Welts was serving as the NBA’s first national promotions director in 1984 when the league introduced the dunk contest and a Legends Game.

Mavericks Notes: Irving, Kidd, Davis, Simmons

February 14th, 2025 at 3:11pm CST by Luke Adams

Faced with a fan backlash following last week’s Luka Doncic trade and dealing with a series of injuries that have decimated their frontcourt, the Mavericks could have gone into a tailspin heading into the All-Star break.

Instead, Dallas has won four of its past five games, including a shorthanded home victory over Miami on Thursday that saw the club run out a starting five of Spencer Dinwiddie, Dante Exum, Max Christie, Olivier-Maxence Prosper, and Kessler Edwards. All five players scored in double figures, as Exum led the way with 27 points on 11-of-13 shooting.

“No one is pouting. Everyone is playing,” head coach Jason Kidd said after Thursday’s win, per Christian Clark of The Athletic. “Big win before the break. Now we can rest, regroup and get ready for the second half.”

Kyrie Irving had to sit out Thursday’s game – the second of a back-to-back set – due to a right shoulder injury, but he has been playing through a back issue and is averaging a team-high 36.6 minutes per game on the season. His resiliency and leadership has trickled down to the rest of the roster, Clark writes.

“He sets a standard,” Edwards said. “If he sees any of us slacking, he holds us to that. He also has a great personality. It’s light in the locker room around him, so it’s great.”

Here’s more on the Mavs:

The Mavericks and Kidd won’t be fined for the head coach’s decision to skip Monday’s post-game press conference, according to NBA insider Marc Stein, who notes (via Twitter) that the league typically responds to first-time violations of that rule with a warning rather than handing out a fine.
The Mavericks haven’t issued a formal update on Anthony Davis‘ projected recovery timetable from an adductor strain since he was injured in his first game with his new team on Saturday. As Stein writes in a story for his Substack, the lack of a publicly shared timeline is thought to be by design, with the hope being that Davis can take a non-surgical treatment path to recovery. As he reported earlier this week, Stein says there’s optimism that surgery can be avoided, but cautions that it hasn’t been entirely ruled out at this point.
Within that same Substack story, Stein reports that the Mavericks would have had interest in entering the bidding for Ben Simmons on the buyout market, but their hard-cap restrictions prevented them from emerging as a serious suitor. The prorated veteran’s minimum deal that Simmons got from the Clippers carries a cap hit of approximately $756K, whereas Dallas is only operating about $171K below its first-apron hard cap.

Mavs’ Gafford Expected To Miss Six Weeks With MCL Sprain

February 13th, 2025 at 10:44pm CST by Luke Adams

Mavericks center Daniel Gafford has been diagnosed with a Grade 3 MCL sprain in his right knee and is expected to be sidelined for six weeks, sources tell Shams Charania and Tim MacMahon of ESPN.

Gafford sustained the injury on Monday and the Mavericks announced on Tuesday that he would be out for at least two weeks, at which point he’d be reevaluated. Tonight’s reporting from Charania and MacMahon suggests the prognosis is worse than that initial update suggested.

It’s a disaster for the Mavericks, who had already expected to be without Dereck Lively until at least late March or April due to a stress fracture in his right ankle. And while the team has yet to issue a formal update on Anthony Davis‘ adductor strain, the belief is that the injury will keep Davis on the shelf until sometime in March.

That means Dallas will be without its top three big men until well beyond the All-Star break. Reserve center Dwight Powell also hasn’t played in a game since January 17 due to a hip strain, further depleting the club’s depth up front.

The Mavs do have an open 15-man roster spot, but they’re only operating about $171K below their first-apron hard cap, limiting their ability to actually fill that spot.

Essentially, Dallas can only fit 14 days of a prorated veteran’s minimum deal under that hard cap, so the team will have to wait until at least March 31 to finalize a rest-of-season contract. The other option would be to make a 10-day signing sooner rather than later, then (once that deal expires) leave the 15th spot open until the final few days of the season.

The good news for the Mavs is that they’ve actually won their last two games since Gafford went down, defeating Golden State on Wednesday and Miami on Thursday. That victory over the Heat came with Kyrie Irving (right shoulder soreness), Klay Thompson (left foot sprain), and P.J. Washington (right ankle sprain) also unavailable due to injuries, so the team will head into the All-Star break on a positive note.

Kessler Edwards, a 6’7″ forward, has started at center in each of the past two games. He had 15 points and nine rebounds and was a team-best +10 in 40 minutes of action on Thursday.

Mavs Notes: Kyrie, Davis, Milic, Front Office

February 13th, 2025 at 8:09am CST by Luke Adams

It was a chaotic return home on Monday for the Mavericks — the team ejected several fans who expressed their displeasure about the Luka Doncic trade, lost a one-point thriller in overtime, and saw head coach Jason Kidd skip out on his post-game media session.

That context made Kyrie Irving‘s performance on Wednesday all the more impressive. As Tim MacMahon of ESPN writes, Irving racked up 42 points on 15-of-25 shooting and drew a crucial offensive foul on Jimmy Butler with 17 seconds left in the game, leading Dallas to a much-needed win over Golden State and giving the home fans a feel-good moment.

“That was special,” Klay Thompson said after the victory over his former team. “That was incredible — 42 and the defensive stop of the night. Yeah, that was incredible. Needed it bad, especially when I didn’t have my best shooting night. That’s our point guard, man. That was ridiculous.”

The shorthanded Mavericks – who had to start 6’7″ forward Kessler Edwards at center due to injuries to Dereck Lively, Daniel Gafford, Dwight Powell, and newly acquired star Anthony Davis – were going up against a Warriors club that had won back-to-back road games since Butler’s debut. Irving said the home crowd helped give the home team the spark it needed to pull out the win.

“Anytime you’re in a game like tonight and you’re looking for that energy, you look into the crowd, our fans, and you could drive yourself off that or get amplified, electrified off of that energy that’s in the crowd,” Irving said. “And it makes a big difference for us in in our home stadium. We got to protect it — our arena — and I feel like our fans know that. We’re obviously dealing with something unique, but at the same time we have to put our best foot forward.”

Here’s more on the Mavericks:

Although the Mavericks have yet to make an official announcement on how Davis’ adductor strain will be treated and how much time he might miss, NBA insider Marc Stein (Twitter links) hears there has been “tangible optimism” in Dallas that the injury won’t require surgery. One source close to the situation tells Stein that the Mavs are still evaluating Davis’ recovery timeline and “will be cautious” about targeting a return date.
Marko Milic, who joined the Mavericks’ coaching staff in a player development role during the 2022 offseason, has stepped down from his role, sources tell Stein (Twitter link). According to Stein, Milic – who was the first Slovenian to play in the NBA – decided not to remain with the team following the Doncic trade.
Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal (Substack link) calls out the Mavericks’ leaders for a lack of transparency and accountability, noting that the team still hasn’t publicly commented on its Caleb Martin trade, which needed to be amended to send a second-round pick to Dallas due to concerns about Martin’s physical. The front office also hasn’t responded to Doncic’s assertion that he “absolutely” didn’t give the team any indication he wouldn’t have signed a super-max extension offer during the 2025 offseason, Afseth adds.

Kyrie Irving Replaces Injured Anthony Davis In All-Star Game

February 10th, 2025 at 5:51pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving has been named by NBA commissioner Adam Silver as the All-Star injury replacement for new teammate Anthony Davis, the league announced in a press release.

Irving will play for Team Shaq in the 2025 NBA All-Star Game.

It’s the ninth NBA All-Star selection for Irving, who is averaging 24.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.3 steals per game in his first 42 outings this season. His shooting slash line is .475/.407/.901.

Davis is expected to miss multiple weeks after suffering a left adductor strain in his Dallas debut on Saturday. Injuries to Davis and Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo necessitated two injury replacements for next weekend’s event — the NBA announced earlier today that Hawks guard Trae Young would take Antetokounmpo’s spot.

The All-Star Game, which is debuting a four-team, three-game mini-tournament format, will take place on Sunday at the Warriors’ Chase Center.

Mavericks Notes: Davis, Irving, Christie, Martin

February 6th, 2025 at 12:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

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.”