Mavericks news: Kemba Walker injury update, Tyler Dorsey interest, more

Dallas Mavericks point guard Kemba Walker was just starting to show what he had left in the tank when a knee issue popped up that forced him to miss two straight games. The 32-year-old has dealt with knee issues for three straight years, and general manager Nico Harrison made it clear that Walker’s knees are problematic moving forward.

Walker was upgraded to questionable ahead of Tuesday’s game against the New York Knicks, and head coach Jason Kidd made it clear that his minutes need to be managed carefully moving forward. Kemba’s 32-point performance against the Cavaliers sparked his latest knee injury and made it clear that he cannot handle that workload moving forward.

The Mavericks will likely only use Kemba in a break glass in case of an emergency role moving forward. If they need a spark off the bench or are playing with Luka Doncic or Spencer Dinwiddie, Dallas will play Walker. Expect his minutes to be kept down, but Kemba can still contribute when his number gets called.

More Mavericks news

The Mavs released Tyler Dorsey on Dec. 26 to sign A.J. Lawson to a two-way contract. The move gives the team more defensive versatility and size moving forward. Dorsey’s former team is eager to try to sign him back. Olympiacos is reportedly planning to gauge his interest in returning as soon as he clears waivers. Dorsey could return to Greece where he was one of the team’s best players last season.

The Mavericks moved up to 11th in The Athletic’s weekly power rankings (subscription required) after their three-game winning streak. Luka Doncic is eager to get his team back into the top ten and the favorable slate in the week ahead could propel them further up the list.

NBA news

Domantas Sabonis has a fracture in his thumb, but the All-Star center plans to play through the injury. The Kings are currently sixth in the Western Conference, and they need Sabonis producing like a star to say in the race. His play and production are things to watch closely in the weeks ahead.

The Clippers pulled off a crazy comeback on Monday night. They were down by 14 with just three minutes to go and head coach Tyronn Lue had already pulled his starters before they used a 16-2 run to tie the game in the final seconds. LA went on to defeat the Pistons in overtime in one of the wildest games of the season.

The Dallas Mavericks are back in action on Tuesday night as they host Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks. It will be a cannot miss game, so please tune in and enjoy.