NBA Player News

Risacher notched nine points (4-9 FG, 1-3 3Pt), eight rebounds, one assist and one steal in 24 minutes during Friday's 135-117 preseason loss to the Rockets.

With the Mavericks shorthanded, new head coach Dusty May started Risacher, Cooper Flagg, Max Christie, Naji Marshall and rookie Morez Johnson during the preseason opener. After falling out of favor in Atlanta, the 2024 No. 1 overall pick is getting a fresh start in Dallas and making the most of his new opportunity. "I feel like we're going to be a good fit, especially on this team. We're going to play fast. We want to go," said Risacher. "We're going to play physical, and I feel like that's going to be a good fit. I like to play off-ball too, so I feel like just me being able to get to the right spot, get space, and finish those actions, that's going to be a big thing."

De Larrea posted 11 points (4-6 FG, 3-3 3Pt), six assists, two rebounds and one steal in 11 minutes during Friday's 135-117 preseason loss to the Rockets.

The 2026 No. 25 overall pick displayed exactly what made him an intriguing draft prospect during the Mavericks' preseason opener, but it's going to be a hard battle for regular-season rotation minutes. Standing at 6-foot-6 barefoot with a 6-foot-9 wingspan, de Larrea boasts elite positional size that allows him to survey the floor, pick apart defenses in the pick-and-roll and comfortably see over opposing guards. He was lethal from deep against professional competition last season for Valencia Basket, draining 40.7 percent of his three-pointers on respectable volume.

Gafford produced seven points (3-4 FG, 1-1 3Pt), three rebounds and one steal in eight minutes during Friday's 135-117 preseason loss to the Rockets.

In an interesting move, new head coach Dusty May opted to start a small-ball lineup of Cooper Flagg, Max Christie, Naji Marshall, Zaccharie Risacher and rookie Morez Johnson in the Mavericks' preseason opener, notably leaving Gafford to play off the bench. It's unclear if this trend will continue in the regular season, but with Dallas' frontcourt banged up, including a cloudy return timeline for Dereck Lively (foot), Gafford may need to play heavy minutes even if he operates off the bench.

Lawal tallied 13 points (5-6 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 3-3 FT), one rebound and two steals in 15 minutes during Friday's 135-117 preseason loss to the Rockets.

With the Mavericks frontcourt shorthanded, the rookie saw an expanded role and made the most of it. Lawal is an impressive athlete with the tools to develop into an elite defender, but he remains very raw offensively. The 23-year-old forward finished his senior season at Virginia Tech with averages of 12.3 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game on 54/25/76 shooting splits. He'll likely see limited minutes during his rookie season, helping back up the forward spots in Dallas.

Johnson totaled four points (1-3 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 1-2 FT), two rebounds, one assist and one steal in 12 minutes during Friday's 135-117 preseason loss to the Rockets.

With Dereck Lively (foot), Santi Aldama (knee) and P.J. Washington (ankle) all sidelined, Johnson started at center in a small-ball lineup with Cooper Flagg, Max Christie, Naji Marshall and Zaccharie Risacher, as Daniel Gafford operated off the bench. The rookie ended up playing only 12 minutes, but his limited action might've been precautionary, as he's been dealing with a minor lower-leg injury during training camp. While not an eye-popping box score, Johnson being thrust into the starting lineup during his first non-Summer League NBA action is encouraging for his short- and long-term fantasy value.

Tate (coach's decision) did not play during Friday's 135-117 preseason win over the Mavericks.

Tate, Marcus Smart and Clint Capela were all sidelined during Friday's preseason opener, but there were no injuries reported. Tate is still expected to make the Opening Night roster, but his role will be limited as a veteran presence on a contending team.

Capela (coach's decision) did not play during Friday's 135-117 preseason win over the Mavericks.

Capela, Marcus Smart and Jae'Sean Tate didn't leave the bench during the preseason opener, but there were no injuries reported. Capela is slated to be the third-string center behind Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams this season.

Smart (coach's decision) did not play during Friday's 135-117 preseason win over the Mavericks.

Smart, Clint Capela and Jae'Sean Tate all took a seat for the preseason opener, but there were no reported injuries. Smart has played nearly 700 career regular-season games and spent multiple years in Boston under now-Rockets head coach Ime Udoka, so the veteran point guard likely doesn't need many preseason minutes to get acquainted with his new squad.

Bogdanovic registered four points (1-4 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 2-2 FT), four assists and two steals in 16 minutes during Friday's 135-117 preseason win over the Mavericks.

Bogdanovic made only 23 regular-season appearances last year and averaged fewer than 20 minutes per game for the first time in his career. The sharpshooter should have a reserve role in Houston's backcourt if he can stay healthy, but injuries have derailed the veteran's career in recent seasons.

Thornton recorded 13 points (4-6 FG, 3-3 3Pt, 2-2 FT), two assists and one block in nine minutes during Friday's 135-117 preseason win over the Mavericks.

Despite playing single-digit minutes, the rookie was one of seven Rockets to score in double figures during their high-scoring preseason opener in China. Thornton will have to string together multiple performances like this if he's going to crack the Opening Night rotation, as he's currently behind Fred VanVleet, Amen Thompson, Reed Sheppard, Marcus Smart and Bogdan Bogdanovic on the backcourt depth chart.