NBA Player News

The status update for Davis is unsurprising. He was held out of Tuesday’s loss to the Knicks because that was Dallas’ second game in as many nights. His return will push Naji Marshall to the bench. However, due to the Mavericks’ lack of depth, Marshall will continue to figure prominently in the rotation. He’s worth holding onto for the rest of the season.

Williamson has already missed the Pelicans’ last five games, and he will remain sidelined for the final two weeks of the regular season. He suffered a low back bone contusion on March 19, and with New Orleans looking to improve their lottery odds, there is no reason for Williamson to play through any injury. Bruce Brown should continue to start for the rest of the season when available.

Williams will be back after missing Saturday’s game against Indiana. However, with both Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein available, Williams won’t play enough to make a significant contribution in standard leagues.

Both Thunder big men were initially listed as questionable with hip injuries, but ultimately the pair of frontcourt players will be available Monday against the Bulls. Holmgren’s availability is particularly encouraging as he’s managing a hip injury that sidelined for three months earlier this season.

Tillman is listed as the starter in place of Jaylen Brown, who is sidelined with a knee injury. It is a surprise that Tillman gets the nod instead of Al Horford or Sam Hauser, but this doesn’t mean Tillman will play enough to warrant a streaming spot; he played just six minutes in his only other start this season.

Shannon Jr. will miss a third-straight game, but the difference in this one is that he won’t be given the questionable tag before being ruled out. Jaylen Clark and Nickeil Alexander-Walker will continue to take on a few extra minutes with Shannon Jr. sidelined.

As expected, Martin will suit up against Brooklyn. However, he only played six minutes on Saturday after playing 17 minutes on Thursday. Martin has not been productive since being traded to the Mavs, and that is unlikely to change on Monday.

Lively was upgraded to questionable ahead of this game, but his return will be delayed for at least one more game. Lively hasn’t suited up since January 14, but ESPN’s Tim MacMahon reported he is “trending toward” a return later this week. That is backed up by his questionable tag. If it’s not Wednesday against the Hawks, Lively could play in one leg of the Mavs’ mini-series with the Clippers on Friday and Saturday. With Daniel Gafford returning on Monday, Kai Jones could be pushed out of the rotation soon.

As expected, Davis will be good to go on Monday. Head coach Jason Kidd said that AD will be restricted to 25-28 minutes despite playing 29 minutes in each of the Mavs’ last two games. However, that is more than enough time for Davis to feast on the Nets.

Gafford will make his return and suit up for the first time since before the All-Star break. Dallas has a 1.5 game lead over the Suns for the final play-in spot, and the reinforcements down low will help them keep their position. Gafford is expected to play 15-20 minutes in this game.

Bryant will enter the starting unit in place of Myles Turner, who is sidelined with an illness. Bryant has been solid as a starter this season, averaging 13.5 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists across six starts.