Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, and more will sit out of the Mavericks preseason opener
The Mavericks have announced that Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, PJ Washington Jr., Maxi Kleber, and Dante Exum are out for Monday night’s preseason game. Doncic and Exum’s absences were to be expected as the two had injuries announced previously, but an injury list that long is a little bit of a shock to the system.
Mavs Injury Update:
Dončić (left calf contusion), Irving (rest), Thompson (rest), Washington Jr. (left hip tightness), Kleber (left ankle sprain), Exum (right wrist), Williams (right calf strain) and Edwards (left ankle sprain) will be OUT for tonight’s game vs. MEM.
— Mavs PR (@MavsPR) October 7, 2024
It’s unlikely that most of these players are dealing with anything too serious, and more likely an indication that Dallas doesn’t want to. put extra wear and tear on veterans like Irving and Kleber unnecessarily.
The chants of “we want Klay!” from the Dallas faithful in attendance at the Dallas Mavericks’ open practice will have to wait a little longer to see Thompson officially in action for his new team. He was Dallas’ major addition this offseason, and the fan appetite to see what he brings to a roster feature the league’s premiere setup man in Doncic is understandably ravenous.
So, with nearly their entire starting five, minus Dereck Lively, on the bench for the opener, we’ll get an early look at what the second unit is shaping up to look like. Expect young guys like Jaden Hardy and Oliver-Maxence Prosper to get a good amount of run.