Khris

Middleton

Christie has taken on a significant role in Dallas’ rotation, and his looming absence should free up additional playing time for Klay Thompson and Khris Middleton.

Christie showed up on Thursday’s injury report, despite having played 30 minutes in the Mavericks’ most recent game before the All-Star break. Having scored in double figures in six of his last seven appearances, he’s become a reliable scoring option for the new-look Mavericks. If he’s unable to play, Tyus Jones, Klay Thompson, and Khris Middleton could see more time than usual.

Thompson did not play in Tuesday’s loss to the Suns, with fellow vet Khris Middleton playing 22 minutes off the bench in his Mavericks’ debut. With Cooper Flagg (foot) listed as doubtful, Thompson may wind up absorbing some of the minutes that would usually go to the rookie.

Initially questionable for Tuesday’s game, Thompson will sit out Dallas’ penultimate game before the All-Star break. Khris Middleton is available to make his Mavericks’ debut, so he can absorb the minutes that would have gone to Thompson.

Thompson could get the night off despite not dealing with an injury. He has played roughly 20 minutes per game off the bench over the Mavericks’ last three games and should see a similar role if he’s available. Khris Middleton is expected to make his debut for Dallas, so he would soak up Thompson’s minutes.

Absent from the injury report, Middleton is on track to make his Mavericks debut on Tuesday. With Dallas being best served to strengthen its draft lottery odds, the veteran forward may not log heavy minutes anytime soon. As was the case in Washington, Middleton does not qualify as a must-roster player in most fantasy leagues.

While Tyus Jones, AJ Johnson and Marvin Bagley III are available to make their Mavericks’ debuts on Saturday, Middleton is out. Nothing has been reported regarding a potential buyout, but it may be worth keeping an eye out for. Middleton’s timeline doesn’t align with the Mavericks’, especially with the franchise pivoting to a rebuild.

Middleton has had a solid season in Washington, and he will now get a fresh start in Dallas. Just like with the Wizards, Middleton’s availability for the rest of the season will be spotty, though he should be relatively effective when available. He’ll be part of the wing rotation, which means he’ll take away minutes from Caleb Martin, Max Christie and Klay Thompson. It’s unclear if he’ll start or come off the bench, but the minutes should be similar regardless.

The firsts include the Thunder pick in 2026 and a protected Warriors pick in 2030. Davis is set to be re-evaluated in late February, but managers shouldn’t expect to see him play much down the stretch as the Wizards look to improve their lottery odds. However, Davis joins Trae Young and a talented young core in Washington, and they should add another top pick this summer. Davis will form an elite defensive tandem down low with Alex Sarr that should allow Washington to return to the postseason as early as 2027, assuming they plan to keep him around.

Friday’s game is the second in as many nights for the Wizards, who beat the Bucks on Thursday. So, it’s unsurprising that Middleton won’t be available. Will Riley was the replacement for the most recent game that the veteran forward missed, and that may also be the case on Friday. Riley isn’t a must-stream, but he is worth watching ahead of the post-trade deadline portion of the schedule.