01/12/2025, 3:11 PM

Not yet cleared for contact

Exum underwent surgery Oct. 9, with estimates at the time calling for him to miss around three months. He's now reached the end of that three-month timeline, and though Exum doesn't seem to have hit any snags in his recovery, he'll still need more time to get reconditioned and take contact before being cleared for his season debut. A firmer target date for Exum's return may come once he has another checkup with his surgeon, who could then give the 29-year-old the green light to ramp up his activity in practices.

01/12/2025, 3:00 PM

Trending up, but return still TBD

Irving will miss his fourth consecutive game and his second in a row due to what the Mavericks are officially labeling as a lumbar back sprain, after the first two absences were attributed to an illness. Shams Charania and Tim MacMahon of ESPN reported Monday that Irving would miss at least 1-to-2 weeks with the disc issue, and given that the veteran guard isn't yet practicing, he would appear to be trending toward the longer side of that timeline. At this point, Irving should probably be viewed as doubtful for the Mavericks' upcoming Tuesday/Wednesday back-to-back set versus the Nuggets and Pelicans, respectively.

01/12/2025, 4:52 AM

Big night on boards in G League

Edwards, who is on a two-way deal with the Mavs, has yet to crack the NBA rotation, so he continues to see tune-up opportunities in the G League. He led the Legends in rebounds Friday night and has grabbed double-digit boards in two of his last three appearances.