Dallas Mavericks DVOA, Stats, & NBA Rankings

Dallas Mavericks forward P.J. Washington (knee) is listed as questionable ahead of Sunday's game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Mavs could be in a bad spot with both Washington and Daniel Gafford (ankle) listed as questionable for this game. This team is already shorthanded in the frontcourt and would be extremely desperate if they both sit out. Naji Marshall, Olivier-Maxence Prosper, and Kylor Kelley could all be asked to play bigger roles on Sunday. Between the trio, Marshall is the best streaming choice, but none of them are ideal options for Sunday's slate.

Dallas Mavericks center Daniel Gafford (ankle) is listed as questionable ahead of Sunday's game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Mavs could be in trouble if Gafford is unable to go given their lack of healthy options at the center spot. It's worth noting that help is on the way in the form of Anthony Davis, but he's but going to be ready to play yet. Naji Marshall and P.J. Washington (knee) could be asked to play heavy minutes on Sunday. Washington should already be rostered in most formats, but Marshall is worth a look as a streaming choice if Gafford is unable to play.

Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (shoulder) is listed as questionable ahead of Sunday's game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. It appears that Irving has suffered a shoulder injury during Friday's loss to the Detroit Pistons. It doesn't sound like a major issue, but the Mavs may elect to rest Irving on Sunday with their next game not coming until Tuesday. Spencer Dinwiddie and Jaden Hardy figure to see increased roles if Irving is unavailable to play. Dinwiddie is well worth a look as a streaming option and should see a bigger role moving forward with Luka Doncic headed to the Los Angeles Lakers. That being said, Dinwiddie could be a popular waiver pickup right now.

According to ESPN's Shams Charania, the Mavericks acquired center Anthony Davis (abdomen), guard Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round pick from the Lakers in exchange for guard Luka Doncic (calf), forward Maxi Kleber, and forward Markieff Morris. Utah also received guard Jalen Hood-Schifino and picks to round out the three-team swap. AD, who is expected to be sidelined for over a week after suffering an abdominal strain, has averaged 25.7 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks this season. He'll now suit up for the third team of his career after spending time with the Pelicans and the Lakers. Davis has proven he can stay healthy, with the 31-year-old logging 76 games last season, his most since entering the league in 2012. He may also see an uptick in production now that he will be away from LeBron James, and a move to the four spot may also be in the picture, which could give him opportunities to shoot more from behind the arc.

Dallas Mavericks guard Dante Exum (wrist) will make his season debut on Friday against the Detroit Pistons, but he will have a minutes restriction. Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd has announced that Exum will not play more than 15 minutes. The Australian guard, who returned to the NBA last season, averaged 19.8 minutes in 2023-24, so he could be fairly close to his normal workload. Exum notched 7.8 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 2.9 assists a season ago. He will be a good addition to the Mavericks rotation but likely will not make much noise in fantasy basketball.