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Injury Notes: Doncic, R. Williams, Leonard, Jones, Heat, Wade

December 23rd, 2024 at 7:11pm CST by Rory Maher

After missing the past two games with a left heel contusion, Luka Doncic was upgraded to available for Monday’s contest vs. Portland, the Mavericks announced (via Twitter). The perennial All-NBA guard had previously been listed as questionable.

For the same game, big man Robert Williams was ruled out due to a left ankle sprain, per the Trail Blazers (Twitter link). Williams was questionable this afternoon, so his latest injury doesn’t appear to be anything significant.

Here are some more injury notes from around the NBA:

A Clippers source tells Law Murray of The Athletic that Kawhi Leonard (right knee) will not suit up for Friday’s contest vs. Golden State (Twitter link). Murray predicted last week that Leonard, who has been going through contact practices and recently traveled on a three-game road trip, would play on Friday, but his season debut will be delayed by at least one more game.
Although they won’t have Leonard back yet, the Clippers did receive some good injury news last week, as Derrick Jones returned early from a right hamstring strain, Murray writes for The Athletic. The 27-year-old forward made an immediate impact against his former team, helping Los Angeles defeat Dallas on Thursday. “Derrick was a big part of our success last year,” Mavs head coach Jason Kidd said. “He was the last to sign with us … he made us a little bit more athletic. He could guard one through five. He shot the three well for us. And he’s a pro. He comes to work every day to do his job. We’re happy for his new contract. Unfortunately, he’s on the other side. But the Clippers got a pro.”
The Heat were shorthanded on Monday vs. Brooklyn, with Jimmy Butler (stomach illness) missing his second straight game and Josh Richardson (right heel inflammation) missing his fifth, as Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald relays. Terry Rozier was a late addition to Monday’s injury report after experiencing left knee inflammation, his first absence with that injury, Chiang adds.
Forward Dean Wade experienced some soreness after taking knee-to-knee contact in Saturday’s contest vs. Philadelphia and the Cavaliers decided to be cautious and keep him out of Monday’s contest against Utah, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Wade is expected to return for Friday’s contest vs. Denver, Cleveland’s next game, sources tell Fedor. Sam Merrill started in place of Wade, who himself was an injury replacement for Isaac Okoro (shoulder sprain).

Southwest Notes: Marshall, Irving, Grizzlies, Morant, Pelicans

December 21st, 2024 at 11:07am CST by Tristan Tucker

After missing five of his previous six games, Mavericks forward Naji Marshall returned to the lineup on Thursday and will continue to bring an edge to a strong Dallas team, The Athletic’s Christian Clark writes. In 22 games with Dallas, Marshall is averaging 11.8 points per game, but he also serves as the muscle of the team.

Marshall began his NBA career on a two-way deal, working his way up to the rotation in New Orleans before signing with the Mavericks this season for three years and $27MM. According to Clark, Marshall breathed a “sigh of relief” when he signed that contract with Dallas after earning the minimum for his first few years, but he knows his work isn’t over.

“I know it’s a narrow window as far as opportunity and just having an overall career in the NBA. I’m in the door, and now I want to stay here,” Marshall said. “Whatever it takes.”

We have more from the Southwest Division:

After missing Thursday’s game against the Clippers, Mavericks star Kyrie Irving is off the injury report and will play, according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon (Twitter link). Superstar Luka Doncic will remain out with a heel issue that kept him out of Thursday’s loss.
The Grizzlies sent a mature message in their 51-point drubbing of the Warriors on Thursday, according to Damichael Cole of Memphis Commercial Appeal. Every Grizzlies rotation player scored and six members of the team finished in double figures. The Grizzlies are 19-9 and second in the Western Conference.
There doesn’t seem to be a need for the Grizzlies to make a consolidating blockbuster trade, even with all their depth, The Athletic’s Kelly Iko opines in a mailbag. They could go for someone like Dorian Finney-Smith of Brooklyn, but the team is firing on all cylinders and shouldn’t blow up the core. In the same mailbag, Iko makes the case for Santi Aldama being Memphis’s fourth-best player and discusses their physicality.
Grizzlies star Ja Morant suffered a hard fall in the second half of the blowout over Golden State and didn’t return, logging just 17 minutes. That mostly seemed precautionary, as Memphis already had a big lead at that point, but he’s listed as out for Saturday’s game against the Hawks, the Grizzlies tweeted.
The Pelicans are still struggling to establish chemistry amid their injury woes this season, and their defense hit a new low in surrendering 133 points to Houston on Thursday, Rod Walker of NOLA.com writes. New Orleans has lost 14 of its last 15 games.
Despite dropping five in a row, the Pelicans are hoping to get back on track with a five-game homestand, Walker writes in another subscriber-only story for NOLA.com.

Injury Notes: Doncic, Mavs, Barnes, Poeltl, Beal, Wizards, Harris

December 19th, 2024 at 7:00am CST by Luke Adams

Luka Doncic (left heel contusion) has been ruled out for the Mavericks‘ game vs. the Clippers on Thursday, while Kyrie Irving (right shoulder soreness) is questionable to play, writes Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal (Substack link).

There was some good news on the injury front for Dallas, however, as neither Naji Marshall nor Maxi Kleber is on the injury report for Thursday’s game. Marshall has missed five of the Mavs’ past six games while battling an illness; Kleber was unavailable for the past three due to an illness and a rib injury.

Raptors forward Scottie Barnes was originally expected to miss “several weeks” due to an ankle sprain, but just 10 days after sustaining that injury, he has been upgraded to questionable for Thursday’s game against Brooklyn after fully participating in Wednesday’s practice (Twitter links via Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca). “I’m so happy that it wasn’t as serious as I thought it was going to be,” Barnes said. In other Raptors injury news, starting center Jakob Poeltl is considered day-to-day with a bilateral groin strain and will miss Thursday’s contest.
After missing the Suns‘ past two games with swelling in his right knee, star guard Bradley Beal “did everything” in practice on Wednesday and the team is “hopeful” he’ll be able to play Thursday against Indiana, according to head coach Mike Budenholzer (story via Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic). Beal has been listed as probable to suit up.
Wizards guards Malcolm Brogdon, Kyshawn George, and Corey Kispert aren’t on the injury report for Thursday’s game vs. Charlotte and should be available to play, tweets Josh Robbins of The Athletic. Brogdon has been out since December 5 due to a hamstring strain, while both George and Kispert have been recovering from left ankle sprains since Dec. 3.
Magic guard Gary Harris, who has been unavailable since November 25 due to a left hamstring strain, has been upgraded to questionable for Thursday’s game vs. Oklahoma City, notes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link). Harris has been averaging 17.2 minutes per game in his first 16 outings of the season before suffering that injury in his 17th appearance.

Southwest Notes: Kennard, Welts, Mavs, Murray, Spurs

December 18th, 2024 at 10:31am CST by Luke Adams

Grizzlies sharpshooter Luke Kennard has seen his playing time decline this season to 19.7 minutes per game, the second-lowest mark of his career, and was a DNP-CD last Friday for the first time in 2024/25.

However, Kennard earned praise from head coach Taylor Jenkins for providing Memphis with excellent minutes off the bench against the Lakers on Sunday. Although the Grizzlies lost the game by six points, Kennard was a +18 in 18 minutes of action, knocking down three 3-pointers.

“I give him a lot of credit,” Jenkins said (Twitter video link via Law Murray of The Athletic). “While the group’s been playing well and he was out of the rotation, he’s been putting in all the work. I thought he gave us a spark. It wasn’t even (just) him knocking down some shots. The way he was moving, he was cutting, he was driving, touching the paint, facilitating — just kind of ignited our offense.”

Among the three Grizzlies players who are on expiring contracts this season, Kennard has the highest cap hit at $9.25MM, so if his role doesn’t increase and Memphis looks to make an in-season move on the trade market, he could emerge as a candidate to be dealt by February 6.

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

The Mavericks have hired former Warriors president and Hall of Fame executive Rick Welts as their new CEO, reports Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News (subscription required). Welts, who is replacing Cynt Marshall when she retires on December 31, will oversee the Mavs’ business operations, while general manager Nico Harrison continues to oversee the basketball operations, but the two departments will “work closely together whenever possible,” Townsend explains. Both Welts and Harrison will report to Mavs governor Patrick Dumont.
Mavericks stars Luka Doncic (left heel contusion) and Kyrie Irving (right shoulder soreness) didn’t participate in practice on Tuesday, but neither injury appears to be a cause for major concern, says Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal (Substack link).
A disastrous season in New Orleans that has seen the Pelicans lose 22 of their first 27 games has been made even worse by the struggles of offseason addition Dejounte Murray, writes William Guillory of The Athletic. The Pelicans gave up a significant trade package to acquire Murray from Atlanta in the hopes of solidifying their point guard position, but through his first 10 games, he has shot just 36.4% from the floor and 28.1% on three-pointers, both far below his career rates. Murray has also averaged a career-high 4.2 turnovers per game.
Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan appears to have reclaimed his spot in the team’s starting lineup, writes Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News (subscription required), which means that rookie Stephon Castle may no longer have a place in the starting five. Castle came off the bench on Sunday for the first time since November 4 and struggled in his new role, scoring just two points on 1-of-8 shooting. San Antonio was outscored by 23 points during his 23 minutes on the court.

Northwest Notes: Henderson, SGA, Dort, Wallace, Murray

December 12th, 2024 at 12:37pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Trail Blazers second-year guard Scoot Henderson believes his team is ready to blossom, as he told Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

“I think we’ll pan out to be one of the top teams in the league pretty soon with the young core that we have and the dogs on our team,” he said. “You’ve got Donovan Clingan, who’s shown little glimpses of what he can do, and Shaedon (Sharpe). I try to get those guys the ball, and I try to do my thing. My main thing is getting guys the ball, letting them rock out, and letting the world see their talent.

“I’m trying to be a leader on and off the floor and get to know the guys a little bit more. I think we’re a core that plays hard and is going to shock a lot of teams throughout the season.”

Portland has a lot of ground to make up, as the Trail Blazers are 8-16 after losing six of their last seven games.

We have more from the Northwest Division:

Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander readily accepts his role as a team leader, he told Marc J. Spears of Andscape. “I embrace it for sure,” he said. “It comes with a burden. It comes with the crown. It comes with all the things you dream about as a kid being a superstar in the NBA. I definitely dreamed about being this as a player and these things come with it. And I knew that. So, I definitely embrace it.”
The combination of Luguentz Dort and Cason Wallace held Mavericks superstars Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving to a total of 33 points in the Thunder‘s NBA Cup quarterfinal win on Tuesday. It was the lowest combined scoring total for the backcourt duo in any game that both Doncic and Irving appeared in since they became teammates. “Hell of a job by Lu and Cason,” Gilgeous-Alexander told Tim MacMahon of ESPN. “It’s more impressive to hold them that low than it is for me to get 39 points. I think to hold those two that low really gave us a chance to win the game. We felt like we had control of the game because of that. Keeping those two in check like that is very rare.”
Nuggets guard Jamal Murray is dealing with some hamstring irritation and it’s uncertain whether he’ll play against the Clippers on Friday. “He was able to go through portions of practice (Wednesday), which was great to have him out there,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone told Bennett Durando of the Denver Post. “He got some good work in yesterday in terms of treatment and player development. And then we’ll see how he feels from his work today. I’d say for Friday night, he’s still going to be listed as questionable.”

Luka Doncic, Tyler Herro Named Players Of The Week

December 9th, 2024 at 2:42pm CST by Luke Adams

Mavericks guard Luka Doncic has been named the Western Conference Player of the Week, while Heat guard Tyler Herro has earned the honor in the Eastern Conference, the NBA announced today (Twitter link).

Doncic, who recently returned from a wrist injury, led the Mavericks to a 3-0 record during the week of December 2-8, putting up 29.3 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 8.3 assists per game in wins over Memphis, Washington, and Toronto. He made 14-of-32 three-pointers during those three victories, good for a 43.8% rate.

As for Herro, his week began with a resounding 19-point loss to the defending champions in Boston last Monday, but he and the Heat bounced back in impressive fashion, outscoring the Lakers, Suns, and Cavaliers by a combined 60 points (including a 41-point blowout of L.A.) to finish the week with a 3-1 record.

Herro averaged 25.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 5.5 assists in 33.0 minutes per game across those four contests, posting an excellent shooting line of .507/.436/.875. It’s the first time in his six-year NBA career that he has won a Player of the Week award, whereas it’s Doncic’s 14th such honor.

Anthony Edwards, Nikola Jokic, Domantas Sabonis, and Thunder teammates Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams were also nominated for the Western Conference Player of the Week award, per the league (Twitter link). In the East, Herro beat out fellow nominees Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jaylen Brown, Brandon Miller, Evan Mobley, Nikola Vucevic, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey.

And-Ones: China, 2025 Draft, Doncic, Trade Deadline, Trends

December 6th, 2024 at 11:31am CST by Tristan Tucker

The Nets and Suns will play two preseason games in Macao next October, which marks the first time the NBA is playing in China since 2019, Shams Charania of ESPN reports (Twitter link). The NBA later formally announced the decision (Twitter link).

“Bringing preseason games to Macao will showcase the excitement of the NBA to fans in one of the world’s emerging hubs for sports,” NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum said in the statement. “The Nets and Suns feature an exciting mix of established and rising stars, and we look forward to engaging fans, aspiring players and the local community in Macao through these games and a variety of interactive events, youth development programs and social impact initiatives.”

The partnership is the result of a years-long effort to repair the relationship between the two sides after commissioner Adam Silver and the league didn’t reprimand then-Rockets general manager Daryl Morey after he tweeted support for protests in Hong Kong in 2019, Charania and Brian Windhorst write.

NBA games were then temporarily removed from broadcasts in China and sponsorships were lost. The relationship has been mended largely in part to NBA China’s CEO Michael Ma, according to Charania and Windhorst.

We have more from around the basketball world:

Duke’s Cooper Flagg is still the top-ranked prospect on Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report’s latest mock draft, but Rutgers’ Dylan Harper is beginning to put pressure on him for that top spot. The 18-year-old Harper scored 36 points against Notre Dame and 37 against Alabama. Despite Harper’s strong play, executives have a hard time seeing Flagg being unseated from the pole position, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo (Insider link). BYU’s Egor Demin and Rutgers’ Ace Bailey are among other players who will push to hear their names called No. 1 overall.
While Luka Doncic is obviously primarily focused on the Mavericks‘ current season, he’s still excited that Slovenia qualified for EuroBasket 2025 and is looking forward to the chance to suit up for them, Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal reports. Slovenia is also up to potentially host EuroBasket in 2029. “That would be a dream come true, playing in front of fans in a big tournament at the EuroBasket,” Doncic said.
The NBA trade deadline could see reduced action as compared to other recent seasons, due in part to the restrictive CBA but also fewer bad contracts across the league, Windhorst said on The Hoop Collective podcast (hat tip to RealGM). “Teams are a little bit smarter and I just think the intelligence into the game and the way teams are operated and the gameplay is taking some of the stuff fans kind of like — at least some of the older school fans,” Windhorst said.
Hornets two-way player Moussa Diabate has played well amid Charlotte’s frontcourt injuries, which is one recent trend worth monitoring, according to The Athletic’s Fred Katz. Diabate is averaging just 3.1 points per game, but has grabbed 7.8 rebounds (3.6 of which are offensive boards) per night. The Lakers playing better when LeBron James is off the court and Atlanta owning L.A.’s first-round pick are other trends worth keeping tabs on as the season progresses, Katz notes.

Mavericks Notes: Gafford, Lively, Doncic, Irving, Thompson, Grimes

December 2nd, 2024 at 5:32pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Mavericks have fielded some inquiries regarding Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively but haven’t shown any interest in trading either big man, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reports.

However, the Mavericks could be active in the trade market. They could seek potential upgrades by parting with their 2025 first-round pick or their 2031 first-rounder. They could also add a young piece such as Quentin Grimes and Olivier-Maxence Prosper in a trade package, Scotto notes.

Dallas is approximately $5.3MM above the luxury tax but might be able to drop below that figure if it is able to deal Maxi Kleber, Scotto adds. He’ll make $11MM this season, with a matching cap hit for 2025/26.

We have more on the Mavs:

Luka Doncic returned from a wrist injury on Sunday and racked up 36 points and 13 assists against the Trail Blazers. He posted on social media that it was “great” to be back from a five-game absence. Doncic complimented the team on how it performed without him. “Obviously, I think their pace was great. They were playing amazing,” Doncic said, per ESPN News Services. “So, [I was] just trying to adapt to that. They beat some tough teams, and I was just happy to sit back, watch and enjoy.”
Dallas defeated Portland despite having several other starters and rotation players sidelined. Kyrie Irving (right shoulder soreness), Lively (right knee hyperextension), Klay Thompson (left foot plantar fascia), Naji Marshall (illness) and Dante Exum (right wrist surgery) all missed the game, the Mavs PR department tweets.
Grimes, who joined Dallas in the offseason trade with Detroit, has been on a hot streak of late. He’s averaged 24.3 points over the last three games. “I’m glad to see my confidence growing,” Grimes told Grant Afseth of the Dallas Hoops Journal. “I’m just playing downhill, not overthinking, and focusing on helping on both ends of the floor.” Grimes will be a restricted free agent after the season, as he and the team were unable to reach a rookie scale extension by the October deadline.

Mavericks Notes: Marshall, Doncic, Klay, Gafford, Washington

November 30th, 2024 at 2:58pm CST by Luke Adams

It came as a bit of a surprise on the first day of free agency this past summer when the Mavericks – whose stated top priority was re-signing starting forward Derrick Jones – lost him to the Clippers and pivoted to signing Naji Marshall to fill Jones’ three-and-D role on the wing. But Marshall has played his role admirably in Dallas so far, as Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal (Substack link) writes.

Known mostly for his defense, Marshall didn’t average more than 9.1 points per game in any of his first four NBA seasons, but he’s up to 12.0 PPG on a career-best 55.4% shooting in his first 19 games as a Maverick, and he has been on fire as of late. In Dallas’ past four games, he has averaged 23.0 PPG on .633/.556/.667 shooting.

“Yeah, I think he’s taking full advantage of being able to get to the paint and use his floater, and he’s now shooting the three,” head coach Jason Kidd said in explaining Marshall’s recent offensive outburst. “And so just, you know, understanding who’s on the floor with him and creating where he doesn’t have to create a lot of space in the sense of his shot because of who’s on the floor. But his aggressiveness and ability to finish were at a high level.”

Marshall’s recent streak of four straight 20-point games came with Luka Doncic sidelined. Klay Thompson also missed the two most recent contests. When the Mavs are healthier, Marshall will likely take a step back offensively. But as Afseth writes, it’s an encouraging sign for Dallas that the defense-first forward is finding his three-point stroke during this stretch. Marshall has knocked down 10-of-19 outside shots since last Friday after making just 4-of-30 (13.3%) in his first 15 games this season.

Here’s more on the Mavs:

Thompson (left foot plantar fascia) didn’t take part in Friday’s practice, but Doncic (right wrist sprain) and Daniel Gafford (illness) were participants, tweets Afseth. Thompson will miss a third straight game on Saturday when the Mavs visit Utah, while Doncic is still listed as doubtful. Gafford is off the injury report and should be active.
Doncic may not return to action on Saturday, but he appears to be close to playing for the first time since November 19. Kidd said the Mavs star “looked good” in Friday’s practice, per ESPN. Saturday’s contest is the first in a back-to-back set, so if Doncic doesn’t suit up tonight, it’s possible he’ll be activated for Sunday’s game in Portland.
Marshall isn’t the only Maverick who has stepped up his game with Doncic and Thompson out. Spencer Dinwiddie (back-to-back 20-point games), Quentin Grimes (21 points on Wednesday), and P.J. Washington (four straight double-doubles) have been standouts and have helped lead Dallas to a 4-1 record in games Doncic has missed. “We need guys like P.J. and Naji to maintain this level of aggressiveness when Luka comes back,” Kidd said, according to Afseth. “It’s not just about one or two players carrying the load—it’s about everyone knowing their role, being confident, and contributing. That’s what makes us dangerous. … Everything we’ve done without (Doncic) only makes us stronger when he’s back.”
Kyrie Irving agreed that the Mavs’ successful stretch without Doncic should only benefit the team in the long run, per Afseth: “This gives our role players an opportunity to step up, take more shots, and learn in real time. When Luka comes back, we’ll be stronger because of it. I’d prefer for us to be 100% healthy, but since that’s not the case, we’re making the most of the situation. I’m staying present and appreciating the effort this team is giving. We know every night is a battle, and I’m proud of how we’ve competed.”

Southwest Notes: Sochan, Doncic, Gafford, Grizzlies

November 27th, 2024 at 8:42pm CST by Arthur Hill

Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan is nearing his return from thumb surgery, writes Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. Sochan, who has been out of action since fracturing his left thumb in a November 4 game, told reporters tonight that he expects to be back on the court soon.

“I’ve been wanting to play since last week, but I still got to stay patient and just follow protocol,” he said. “But it’s going to be sooner than later. So, I think it’s going to be days instead of months, so that’s the most important thing.”

Before the injury, Sochan was averaging a career-high 15.4 points through seven games, along with 7.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.0 steals per night. The team hasn’t set a definite timetable for him to resume playing, but interim head coach Mitch Johnson suggested he “could potentially be ahead of schedule.”

“The medical team, performance staff have done a great job,” Johnson added. “He’s been able to do some things in terms of running and staying in shape and I know we’ve heard all positive feedback.”

Johnson also announced that Devin Vassell was cleared to return for tonight’s game against the Lakers, Orsborn adds. Vassell sat out the last five games with a bruised bone in his left knee.

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

Mavericks star Luka Doncic, who is sidelined with a sprained right wrist, was able to go through a pregame workout tonight, according to Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal. The team will practice on Friday, when more clarity should be provided about Doncic’s availability for a weekend road trip. “He’s doing his individual workouts,” coach Jason Kidd said. “Everything I’ve heard or seen is trending in the right direction.”
Mavericks center Daniel Gafford will consider joining forces with Doncic at next year’s EuroBasket as a naturalized player on the Slovenian national team, Afseth adds in a separate story. “I think it’d be great. We already have a good relationship, but doing something like that could take it to the next level,” Gafford said. “It would give me a chance to see his background, learn about where he came from, and understand how he started his professional career. That would help us connect more.”
The Grizzlies are the healthiest they’ve been all season after Ja Morant returned Monday following an eight-game absence due to a hip injury, notes Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. Even though Morant missed tonight’s contest with a knee contusion, there’s renewed optimism that the team is ready to make a run. “We’re clicking right now, and we got to ride that wave until it is out and for as long as we can,” Marcus Smart said. “I like the direction that we are headed.”