Mavericks Upgrade Danté Exum and Naji Marshall on Injury Report Before Pelicans Matchup
The Dallas Mavericks face some positive injury developments ahead of Wednesday’s matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans. This matchup marks the beginning of a five-game road trip—their longest of the season.
On the latest injury report, the Mavericks upgraded Danté Exum (right wrist surgery) to doubtful, while Naji Marshall (illness) is now questionable. The team remains without Luka Dončić (left calf strain), Dereck Lively II (right ankle stress fracture), Maxi Kleber (right foot fracture), and Dwight Powell (right hip strain).
While Marshall wasn’t on the sidelines during the game, he was at the American Airlines Center earlier on Monday. He played 32 minutes against the Charlotte Hornets on Jan. 20 in the 110-105 loss but has missed the previous four games.
“He’s doing good. Feels better. We’ll see,” Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said before Monday’s 130-108 victory over the Washington Wizards. “Hopefully, he can do some work this evening and get through that. Hopefully, he’s trending up and can go on the trip.”
Exum began participating in on-court pre-game workouts before the Mavericks’ loss against the Hornets. He’s continued to do so since while having his wrist wrapped in a more subtle protection than the brace he used to wear.
Entering training camp, Exum was expected to fill a critical bench backcourt role behind Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving. Last season, Exum averaged 7.8 points, 2.9 assists, and 2.7 rebounds in 55 games while nearly earning the starting wing spot midseason before dealing with knee bursitis.
The Mavericks continue to experience significant injuries to the center position. Daniel Gafford has thrived in the starting role. When he went to the bench during Monday’s victory over the Wizards, the Mavericks ran P.J. Washington at small ball center before substituting Markieff Morris and Kylor Kelley against Washington.
There is optimism that Powell could play at some point during the Mavericks’ five-game road trip. He even traveled with the team to Oklahoma City for Thursday’s 121-115 win against the Oklahoma City Thunder to work with the training staff.
The Mavericks are trending positively as the ultimate player return looms.
The expectation remains for Dončić to return in early February before the NBA All-Star break. However, it’s considered more likely to occur during the team’s four-game homestand, with the goal being against the Houston Rockets.
