Dallas

Mavericks

Johnson played 14 minutes, but wasn’t very productive with four points, seven rebounds and two assists. He notably didn’t have any blocks or steals. Johnson figures to make an immediate impact for the Mavericks, though he played behind P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford even with Dereck Lively out with a foot injury.

Poulakidas started to play more when the Mavericks were trying to lose down the stretch of last season. The Yale sharpshooter showed some promise last season and has continued to look good shooting the ball here. He likely won’t be an impact player this season, but considering how this roster lacks some shooting outside of Kyrie, its possible he gets a role off the bench at some point.

Lawal led the combine at the vertical jump test. He’s an elite athlete who can defend and really rebound the ball. It is important to note that he picked up six fouls in this game, so it wasn’t all amazing. In dynasty leagues, he’s worth holding if you have an ability to stash him because teams will bet on his athletic tools until he proves he can’t play in the NBA. For redraft leagues, he will be a non-factor this year barring multiple injuries.

Marc Stein also reported that the Mavericks don’t believe the ankle injury is serious, but they’re being cautious and he will not be returning to the game. Even if healthy, Cisse isn’t likely to be a fantasy contributor this season unless there’s injuries to Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively.

Irving was targeting a return last March, but the Mavericks’ lottery odds weren’t the only factor that prevented him from playing last season. Irving’s calf strain set him back eight weeks, which means he wouldn’t have been ready to return until well after their season ended. He will play in one of their two preseason games in China against the Rockets this weekend, though it hasn’t been decided which one.

Irving has not appeared in a basketball game since suffering a torn left ACL on March 31, 2025. During Mavericks media day, the veteran point guard said that he’s “ready to kick some butt,” which is great news for Dallas and fantasy managers. However, Irving has not played more than 65 regular-season games since the 2018-19 campaign. The team may place early restrictions on Irving’s playing time, but he can still offer high value in any fantasy format.

The long-time Maverick will have an opportunity to compete for a roster spot when the team opens training camp next week. Powell appeared in 63 games last season, starting 12, and averaged 3.3 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. With Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II healthy, and the additions of Santi Aldama and Morez Johnson Jr., Powell faces tough odds to earn rotation minutes if he makes the Opening Night roster.

Lively underwent season-ending surgery in December after playing in just seven games last season. It’s unclear what his status will be as the regular season approaches, though he hasn’t suffered any setbacks. It just takes time for a big man to recover from a major foot surgery, and they don’t want to rush him back and risk further injury. If he isn’t available for the season opener, Daniel Gafford should be locked in as the starting center, and even if Lively is available, Gafford still may start if they opt to bring Lively along slowly.

Aldama underwent knee surgery in March that ended his season prematurely. He’ll won’t suit up for Spain during the FIBA World Cup qualifiers to prioritize his recovery, but he is expected to be ready for training camp in late September. Aldama was dealt to Dallas in July, so this will be a fresh start with a new team that is loaded with frontcourt talent.

Added via sign-and-trade ahead of the 2024-25 season, Thompson’s first two seasons in Dallas have not gone as planned. While his 38.7 percent mark from three is respectable, that is nearly four percentage points lower than his number with the Warriors. Also, the Mavericks have not been a contender in Thompson’s two seasons, especially after former lead executive Nico Harrison decided to trade Luka Dončić to the Lakers. With 16 players on standard contracts and a new lead executive, Masai Ujiri, calling the shots, it’s unsurprising that the Mavericks would reportedly explore the market for Thompson. In July, it was reported that Miami had interest in Thompson, potentially adding another shooter to play off of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo.