The Dallas Mavericks’ season has taken a turn for the worse as injuries continue to deplete their roster. On Friday, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Dante Exum is out indefinitely with a broken hand, adding to the team’s growing injury concerns.
Kyrie Irving suffered a season-ending ACL tear, while Anthony Davis has been sidelined since his debut with an adductor strain. Additionally, Dereck Lively II, Daniel Gafford, P.J. Washington, Jaden Hardy, and Caleb Martin have all missed time, leaving the Mavericks shorthanded as the regular season nears its conclusion.
Following Exum’s injury, ESPN’s NBA front office insider Bobby Marks outlined the potential challenges Dallas faces with its depleted roster. Although the team has several two-way players available, their eligibility is limited.
Kai Jones, one of their two-way players, is also injured. Meanwhile, Kessler Edwards and Brandon Williams are approaching the NBA’s game limit for two-way contracts. Edwards can participate in three more NBA games before reaching the cap, while Williams has six remaining. Under NBA rules, two-way players can be active for up to 50 games with their NBA team.
Marks highlighted the March 24 game against the Brooklyn Nets as a potential issue, where the Mavericks might struggle to meet the league’s requirement of eight active players.
“If we get to March 24, or if additional injuries occur, the Mavericks could be in a position where they might have to forfeit a game,” Marks said via ESPN. “I’m not ready to make that call yet because it’s never happened before.”
He explained that Dallas cannot simply sign a free agent to fill the gap due to being hard-capped under the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement. The team is currently just over $51,000 below the first apron, limiting their flexibility. However, by April 10, the Mavericks could sign a player under a hardship exception, as their available cap space by then would align with the prorated veteran minimum exception.
Marks also suggested that Dallas could avoid a potential forfeit by having injured players dress for games without actually playing, but that would require misrepresenting their injury status. While this could be a loophole, it’s unclear if the team would take that route. Furthermore, the NBA is unlikely to grant an exception to the first apron rule, as doing so could set a precedent and provoke backlash from other teams.
The Mavericks are currently battling for the final play-in spot in the Western Conference, sitting in 10th place with a 33-35 record. Their struggles intensified after general manager Nico Harrison traded Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers at the trade deadline, sending their season into a downward spiral.