‘A Left Shoulder Sprain’: Dallas Mavericks List Cooper Flagg Questionable Against Miami Heat, Naji Marshall Out With Illness
MIAMI — Cooper Flagg is listed as questionable for the Dallas Mavericks’ game against the Miami Heat on Monday, two days after an MRI showed a mild left shoulder sprain. Naji Marshall is out with an illness, and Caleb Martin is doubtful with a right thumb sprain.
Santi Aldama (right knee surgery), Tarik Biberović (right heel bursitis), and Dereck Lively II (right foot surgery) are out. Kyrie Irving is not on the report after sitting out Saturday’s 122-106 loss to the San Antonio Spurs for left knee injury management on the second night of a back-to-back.
Tip-off at Kaseya Center is set for 6:30 p.m. CT on NBA TV. Dallas is 1-2, and Miami is 0-3 after a 115-110 loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday. The Heat listed no players on their injury report.
Mavericks coach Dusty May opened his availability before Saturday’s game with the injury report. Flagg had been hurt the night before in Indianapolis, and Martin, Aldama, Biberović, and Lively were all ruled out against San Antonio.
“Coop had an MRI performed. He has a left shoulder sprain,” May said. “Kyrie will be out tonight with injury management, with it being the second night of a back-to-back. Caleb Martin is still out with a sprained thumb. Jett Howard has improved his calf. He’ll be a game-time decision. Tarik will be out for the same lower leg injury.”
“Santi’s making progress, but he’ll still be out,” May continued. “Morez will be on a minute restriction, but he is available at a limited amount. And D-Live has the same status. He’s just continuing his rehab process.”
Cooper Flagg Questionable Two Days After MRI Shows Mild Left Shoulder Sprain
Flagg went to the locker room after a flagrant foul in Friday’s 121-105 win over the Indiana Pacers. He did not return for the second half, according to Heavy, and finished with 14 points in 17 minutes.
The Mavericks announced Saturday that the MRI revealed a mild left shoulder sprain and said further updates would be provided as appropriate. The second-year forward scored 32 points on 10-of-17 shooting and made 11 of 13 free throws in the season opener, a 128-110 loss at the Houston Rockets on Wednesday.
Irving scored 24 points at Indiana after scoring 15 in the opener. He tore the ACL in his left knee on March 3, 2025. Before Saturday’s game, May said there is a chance Irving plays both nights of a back-to-back this season, though he did not want to speak for Irving.
“It was more, he’s ready to play at Indiana,” May explained. “Let’s play that, and let’s not make any decisions in advance. Let’s just take this one day at a time and plan accordingly. But it was several conversations, and there wasn’t one thing that tilted it one way or the other.”
Naji Marshall Out With Illness, Caleb Martin Upgraded To Doubtful
Marshall started Saturday and had 10 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists in 20:55. He scored 9 points in the first quarter, played 3:32 after halftime, and did not return after checking out with 8:28 left in the third quarter.
Before that game, May said Marshall made his biggest jump in taking care of the basketball in Friday’s win and that his transition defense had improved drastically over the last week.
“I thought last night he did a little bit of everything,” May said. “Offensively, we’re very, very comfortable with the ball in his hands. He’s one of the guys on our team that can get in the paint without any help. And I thought last night he looked like a veteran quarterback in the pocket. He didn’t look like a young guy in the pocket. He looked like a veteran, and he made a lot of really good plays for us.”
Martin did not play Saturday, and Dallas’ initial report for Monday had listed him out before he moved to doubtful. Biberović also missed Saturday’s game, with May describing it as the same lower leg injury that had kept him out.
Aldama has been limited since a right knee procedure in March, before Dallas acquired him from the Memphis Grizzlies. Lively had season-ending surgery on his right foot in December after appearing in seven games in 2025-26.
Jett Howard, a game-time decision Saturday with a calf injury, is not listed after playing 4:08 against San Antonio. Morez Johnson Jr., who has played under a minutes restriction in every game, is also absent from the report.
Rookie Sergio de Larrea scored his first 21 NBA points off the bench Saturday in 33:02. Marcus Sasser added 12 points and 5 assists, and Walter Clayton Jr. had 5 assists in 14:31.
