The Dallas Mavericks will be without both Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford when they host the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday night, leaving their frontcourt rotation thin and forcing adjustments from head coach Jason Kidd.
Lively, 21, has been ruled out with a right knee contusion after starting each of the Mavericks’ first three games. The 7-foot-1 center played 21 minutes in Sunday’s 139–129 win over the Toronto Raptors before being ruled out for the remainder of the game. He has averaged 5.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists through three appearances.
Gafford has also been ruled out as he continues to recover from a right ankle sprain suffered on the first day of training camp. His absence has left the Mavericks without their top two centers, shifting more responsibility to Anthony Davis and altering how Dallas will defend the paint against an Oklahoma City team that leads the league in points inside.
Jason Kidd Plans to Go Small
Kidd said pregame that Davis will start at center but added that the Mavericks could use smaller lineups to compensate for the losses.
“AD is going to start at the five for us,” Kidd said. “I don’t look at it as pressure — it’s a great challenge for him and for us. But it gives others the opportunity to play tonight. We’ll play some small-ball five because of the injuries.”
With Davis at center, Dallas will start Max Christie on the wing alongside Cooper Flagg, Klay Thompson, and P.J. Washington, forming a versatile lineup built to counter Oklahoma City’s speed and spacing.
The Mavericks’ focus will be on limiting turnovers and controlling transition opportunities. Kidd emphasized that Oklahoma City’s length and aggressiveness on defense make them especially dangerous when Dallas fails to execute cleanly.
“We’ve got to make sure we don’t turn the ball over,” Kidd said. “If we do, they’ll turn those into points. We’ve got to get a shot and then get back in transition and play defense.”
Dallas Mavericks Frontcourt Depth Tested
With both Lively and Gafford unavailable, Kidd will rely on veteran Dwight Powell as Davis’ backup while two-way center Moussa Cisse could see his first meaningful minutes of the season.
Dallas may also experiment with smaller lineups featuring P.J. Washington at the five to match Oklahoma City’s pace and perimeter spacing.
The Mavericks will also be without Kyrie Irving (left knee surgery), Danté Exum (right knee injury management), and Brandon Williams, who remains out for personal reasons.
Oklahoma City Thunder Injury Outlook
The Thunder enter the matchup at near full strength after Chet Holmgren, initially questionable with lower back soreness, was upgraded to available. Holmgren had 31 points, 11 rebounds, and three steals in Oklahoma City’s win over Atlanta on Saturday.
Oklahoma City will remain without Jalen Williams (right wrist surgery), Alex Caruso (concussion protocol), and Isaiah Joe (left knee contusion).
Both teams are managing early-season absences as they open a back-to-back set. The Mavericks continue their five-game homestand on Wednesday against the Indiana Pacers.
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