Cooper Flagg, Klay Thompson, P.J. Washington Progress On Dallas Mavericks Injury Report Before Charlotte Hornets Game
Cooper Flagg is no longer listed as out. The Dallas Mavericks upgraded the rookie to doubtful on Monday’s injury report ahead of Tuesday’s road game against the Charlotte Hornets, a notable step forward after Flagg spent the last several weeks sidelined with a left midfoot sprain.
The change in designation is the first sign of progress since Flagg suffered the injury on Feb. 10 in Phoenix, with the Mavericks announcing the diagnosis after an MRI the following day.
Flagg is on track to miss his eighth consecutive game and 12th overall this season. His upgrade to doubtful does not guarantee a return on Tuesday, but it signals the foot is responding to treatment and that Dallas is no longer ruling out the possibility entirely on a night-to-night basis.
Before the injury, he was averaging 20.4 points on 48.2% shooting with 6.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.2 steals across 49 games — leading the team in scoring and steals.
Tuesday’s game in Charlotte had figured to be one of the season’s marquee rookie matchups. Flagg and Hornets guard Kon Knueppel were former Duke teammates and roommates, and their first meeting this season — a 123-121 Charlotte win on Jan. 29 — delivered. Flagg scored 49 points, the most by any Maverick this season. Knueppel countered with 34. The two combined to shoot 30-of-45 from the field.
A rematch with Rookie of the Year implications on the line would have been worth the price of admission. Instead, Flagg is doubtful, and Knueppel likely takes the floor without him.
The two are neck-and-neck in the ROY race. Knueppel is averaging 19.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists on 48.9% shooting, including 44% from three. Flagg has the edge in most counting stats but trails in three-point shooting, hitting 30.2% on the season — though in 14 games since Jan. 6, he shot 37% from beyond the arc. Charlotte is 30-31 and pushing for a playoff spot, which tilts the team-success argument toward Knueppel. Many still consider Flagg the frontrunner.
Before Friday’s 124-105 loss to Memphis, Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said Flagg was unlikely to play in Charlotte. Flagg sat out Sunday’s 100-87 loss to Oklahoma City, but Monday’s upgrade to doubtful suggests the foot has made some progress since Kidd made those comments.
Dallas is handling the injury on a day-to-day basis and has not set a firm timetable for his return.
Cooper Flagg Remains Key Name to Watch
The road trip includes a Friday game at Boston — the closest thing to a home game Flagg will get all season. A native of Newport, Maine, Flagg grew up a short drive from TD Garden, and the Celtics matchup happens just once per year. Whether he is healthy enough to play in that one remains to be seen, but it figures to be a motivating target on the calendar if the foot continues to improve.
The trip itself is the most challenging stretch of the second half — six games winding through Charlotte, Orlando, Boston, Toronto, Atlanta, and Memphis before Dallas returns home for a single game against Cleveland. Even while sidelined, Flagg has been a presence in the locker room.
“He tries to keep guys locked in,” Daniel Gafford said. “There’s a lot of frustration, of course, because it’s not the kind of season we wanted to have. When it comes to injuries and the mental aspect of it, he comes in with a smile on his face, and he leads by example and tries to keep guys focused.”
Dwight Powell has been equally important to the team’s emotional footing. “He’s a bundle of joy, no matter the circumstances he’s in,” Gafford said of Powell. “He comes in with high energy every day. He’s vocal, making guys laugh. He’s always working to be available.”
Brandon Williams put the overall mindset plainly.
“You got to keep the energy up no matter what the score is,” Williams said. “It can be frustrating at times. But if you’re not standing up when someone scores, it looks crazy.”
Caleb Martin Probable; Two-Way Additions Available
Caleb Martin is probable with low back soreness. He posted a season-high 18 points Sunday against Oklahoma City and has been shooting above 50% from three since mid-January. Kidd has been consistent in his message.
“Stay aggressive,” Kidd said. “Never let the offense affect the defense.”
Martin has internalized that. After Sunday’s performance, he spoke to what has been clicking.
“Just comfortability,” Martin said. “Finding my place in this group, feeling better. Obviously, gaining confidence through playing minutes and getting those reps in games. And my teammates looking for me, sharing the ball, putting me in positions to get good shots.”
Martin also addressed how the group keeps its footing with so many moving pieces.
“Effort and defense have gotta come first,” he said. “Effort is the only thing you can really control when it comes to playing well. I’ve always been a guy who believes if you play hard, good things are gonna happen. That’s gotta be our identity — playing hard no matter what. The points and all the other stuff will follow.”
Moussa Cissé is listed as questionable as a two-way player. The Mavericks also added two new two-way players over the weekend in John Poulakidas and Tyler Smith, both of whom are questionable for Tuesday.
Poulakidas, a 6-6 undrafted guard out of Yale, is shooting 47.3% from three in 24 games with the G League’s San Diego Clippers this season — the seventh-best mark in the G League among qualifiers.
Smith, a 6-9 forward who was selected 33rd overall by Milwaukee in the 2024 draft, averaged 15.9 points on 50.9% shooting with 5.2 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 19 games for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers this season. He was a member of the Bucks’ 2024 NBA Cup championship team.
Dallas waived two-way guard Miles Kelly in the corresponding roster move. Kelly averaged 3.1 points in 14 games with the Mavericks this season.
Klay Thompson and P.J. Washington Considered Questionable
Klay Thompson is listed as questionable with a right adductor contusion after leaving Sunday’s loss to Oklahoma City and not returning. He is averaging 11.5 points and 2.3 rebounds on 47.3% shooting this season.
Meanwhile. P.J. Washington was upgraded from out to questionable after missing three games with a left ankle sprain. He rolled the ankle with 1:11 remaining in the fourth quarter of Dallas’s win at Brooklyn on Feb. 24, stepping on an opposing player’s foot and limping to the locker room without returning.
Washington leads the Mavericks in rebounding at 7.1 per game to go with 14.3 points and 1.9 assists on 44.8% shooting.
Naji Marshall and Marvin Bagley III Both Remain Out
Naji Marshall is out with a right finger contusion, which he sustained during the Feb. 28 loss to Memphis. He is averaging 15.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.1 assists on 53.1% shooting and has been Dallas’s most reliable scorer in Flagg’s absence.
Marvin Bagley III is out with a neck sprain that emerged in late February. In seven games with Dallas, he is averaging 13.0 points and 8.9 rebounds on 61.3% shooting — a productive stretch that Kidd recognized before the injury.
“He’s a pro,” Kidd said. “When you look at his ability to come off the bench and give us that energy — things that we might not have had here in the past. Just the offensive rebounding. It just feels like he’s been with us since training camp.”
Kidd also pointed to Bagley’s broader career arc as context for what Dallas has been seeing from him.
“It’s his seventh year,” Kidd said. “Sometimes it just takes time. Sometimes it’s being in the right place at the right time. Hopefully, that’s the case with Bags right now. He was playing extremely well for us before this injury. Understanding who you are and being comfortable in your skin is important.”
Kyrie Irving and Dereck Lively II Out for the Season
Kyrie Irving has been out since March 3, 2025, when he tore his left ACL on a drive into the lane against Sacramento — his knee buckled on the plant, and he stayed in to shoot free throws before exiting. He has not played this season and remains listed on the injury report under left knee surgery.
Dereck Lively II underwent season-ending surgery on his right foot in December to address lingering discomfort stemming from a procedure he had in July to clean out bone spurs.
The team announced he is expected to make a full recovery and be available for the start of training camp. In seven games this season before the surgery, Lively averaged 4.3 points and 5.3 rebounds.
What the Charlotte Hornets Bring to Tuesday
The Hornets have won four straight by double digits and are 14-3 since Jan. 22 — a stretch that has pulled them to 30-31 and into the playoff picture. Brandon Miller leads Charlotte at 21.0 points per game and is averaging 27.3 over the last three outings.
Knueppel is at 19.3 points per game. LaMelo Ball matches that number. Coby White, acquired from Chicago, is out with a left calf issue after scoring 20 points in his first home game as a Hornet last Saturday.
The Mavericks are 2-13 in their last 15 games. Dallas has had a different leading scorer in each of the past five outings. Khris Middleton, who stayed with the team past Sunday’s buyout deadline, scored four points against Oklahoma City — his lowest total in eight games as a Maverick — but his presence still connects with the younger players around him.
“All-Star, NBA champion — his pedigree speaks for itself,” Christie said. “His wisdom, his guidance, him being a vet in our locker room is something that I seek out for sure. I continue to observe and watch how someone of his caliber goes about his business. I’m super happy he’s here with us.”
As for the road trip ahead, Christie’s approach is quite straightforward.
“Take it one day at a time,” Christie said. “You can’t think about it as six games in however many days. That makes it seem bigger than it is. Not focusing on the entirety of the trip helps us not only get through it but hopefully win some games on it as well.”
Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. CST at Spectrum Center in Charlotte.
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