Klay Thompson’s availability remains unresolved heading into Tuesday night as the Dallas Mavericks visit the Phoenix Suns, with the veteran guard listed as questionable due to rest and not currently with the team.
The matchup comes as Dallas continues to integrate multiple trade-deadline additions while Phoenix looks to reset after a rare shooting collapse at home. With the All-Star break approaching, both teams enter the game searching for stability from very different directions.
Thompson is listed as questionable due to rest. Two-way players Moussa Cissé, Miles Kelly, and Ryan Nembhard are all considered doubtful. Dallas will again be without Kyrie Irving, who remains sidelined following left knee surgery, and Dereck Lively II, who is out after right foot surgery.
Klay Thompson’s Status Remains Unclear
Thompson is coming off a 19-point performance Saturday against San Antonio and is averaging 11.6 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.4 assists across 48 games this season. While his role has fluctuated, his shooting gravity remains central to Dallas’ spacing when he is available.
Head coach Jason Kidd said Monday that Thompson was not with the team, adding uncertainty to his status ahead of the Suns game.
Kidd said several other rotation players were able to practice Monday for the first time since the trade deadline, signaling incremental progress as the Mavericks continue to reshape their rotation.
Cooper Flagg Not on Injury Report
While Cooper Flagg was limited to 26 minutes Saturday in San Antonio due to back stiffness, he is not listed on the Mavericks’ injury report for Tuesday’s game. Flagg participated in practice Monday, and there has been no indication that his availability against Phoenix is in question.
“I thought he got some good looks,” Kidd said of Flagg. “Just understanding his back got sore and stiffened up, so we couldn’t bring him back. But again, I thought he had some good looks, and I thought he made some great plays that we just didn’t knock down tonight.”
Flagg finished with 14 points against the Spurs after posting 32, 36, 34, and 49 points in his previous four games, a stretch that has kept him firmly in the Rookie of the Year discussion.
Khris Middleton Set to Make Dallas Mavericks Debut
Tuesday’s game is expected to mark the Dallas debut of Khris Middleton, who was unable to play Saturday after arriving on the road just hours before tipoff.
“Just trying to get situated, trying to get things in order,” Middleton said. “A lot going on when you get traded at the deadline, but that’s the business we’re in.”
Middleton said familiarity with Kidd and members of the coaching staff should help ease the transition.
“That always helps — having someone you have a relationship with, someone you’ve been through fire with,” Middleton said. “I’m excited to work with them again.”
The veteran described Dallas as a team adjusting to a new direction and said his focus is on fitting in wherever needed.
“Just being a positional basketball player who can fit in and do a lot of different things on and off the ball,” Middleton said. “I’m excited to see how I fit and how things bubble.”
Jason Kidd Points to Transition Defense After San Antonio Spurs Loss
Dallas’ loss in San Antonio provided a snapshot of the challenges that come with midseason change. Kidd said the new additions performed well overall but pointed to transition defense as the deciding issue.
“I thought the new pieces were fine. I thought they were really good tonight,” Kidd said. “Our transition defense wasn’t very good, so we’ve got to be better there. Understanding the shots we got — in the first game we made them, tonight we didn’t, and they ran on us.”
Kidd also highlighted the Spurs’ ability to punish mistakes.
“Defensively, they get after you. They get second opportunities and they shoot the three,” Kidd said. “They play hard defensively, they’re scrappy, and they take advantage of turnovers. You can’t turn the ball over.”
On Flagg’s night, Kidd said the rookie generated quality looks before back tightness forced him out.
“I thought he got some good looks. Just understanding his back got sore and stiffened up, so we couldn’t bring him back,” Kidd said. “But again, I thought he had some good looks, and I thought he made some great plays that we just didn’t knock down tonight.”
Marvin Bagley III Makes Immediate Impact
One of the clearest positives from the Spurs game was Marvin Bagley III, who finished with 16 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks in his Mavericks debut.
“Oh man, I just tried to go out there and play my game — be myself,” Bagley said. “It was a lot of traveling the last couple days, coming into Dallas yesterday, doing physicals, then getting right on the plane to come here. It’s tiring, but that’s part of it. It’s part of the job.”
Bagley said Dallas’ emphasis on pace aligns with his strengths.
“Just the way we’re trying to play from what I’ve seen so far — running, getting out and playing fast,” Bagley said.
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