Santi Aldama, Dereck Lively II Out Again As Dallas Mavericks List Jett Howard Doubtful At Indiana Pacers

INDIANAPOLIS — The Dallas Mavericks have ruled out Santi Aldama, Tarik Biberović, Dereck Lively II, and Caleb Martin for Friday’s game against the Indiana Pacers, according to the NBA’s official injury report. Jett Howard is listed as doubtful with right calf tightness and soreness.

All four missed Wednesday’s 128-110 season-opening loss to the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Howard was questionable for that game with right calf tightness, and he did not play. Tip-off Friday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse is set for 6 p.m. CT.

Kyrie Irving is not on the report for the first night of a back-to-back. In Houston, he had 15 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists on 6-of-9 shooting in 23:45, his first regular-season game in 597 days. Dallas hosts the San Antonio Spurs in its home opener Saturday at 7 p.m. CT.

Jett Howard Doubtful As Santi Aldama, Dereck Lively II Miss Second Straight Game

Dallas added Howard to its injury report Tuesday evening, the night before the opener. By Thursday, he had moved to doubtful, and Friday’s report lists soreness in the calf along with the tightness.

An illness kept Howard out of the final two preseason games as well. Dallas signed him to a two-way contract July 20 after three seasons with the Orlando Magic, who drafted him 11th overall in 2023. Last season, he averaged 5.5 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 0.8 assists in 12.6 minutes over 55 games and shot 37.2% from 3-point range.

Aldama is out for a second straight game. He had an arthroscopic procedure on his right knee March 17 while still with the Memphis Grizzlies, and it included an orthobiologic injection. Aldama sat out all four preseason games. On Oct. 15, Mavericks coach Dusty May said Aldama was getting “much, much closer,” and three days later May said he did not know yet whether Aldama would play in the opener.

Dallas acquired Aldama in a six-team trade July 8. In his last season in Memphis, he averaged career highs of 14.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.9 assists over 43 games. In August, Aldama and the Spanish federation decided he would skip Spain’s FIBA World Cup 2027 qualifiers instead of rushing the knee.

“I’m working on it. It’s been a long summer in that sense,” Aldama said at the start of camp. “I’m working every day and feeling better every day, so I’m excited to get back out there.”

Lively’s last game was Nov. 21, 2025, against the New Orleans Pelicans. On Dec. 10, Dallas announced he would have season-ending surgery on his right foot, and Dr. James Calder performed the procedure at the Fortius Clinic in London. In July 2025, Lively had surgery to remove bone spurs from the same foot. He has not been medically cleared.

Before the second game in Macao on Oct. 11, May said the return-to-play protocol Lively is working through is a little different from the one every player goes through.

“I’ll defer to the medical staff on that. I know this, he’s moving well,” May said. “We see him regularly getting treatment, doing things on the court. There’s just a return to play protocol that everyone goes through. It’s a little bit unique, but he’s in good spirits.”

“He’s working every day, and whenever he’s back, he’s going to have a major impact on this team,” May continued.

Right heel bursitis also kept Biberović out of the Oct. 16 preseason finale against the Atlanta Hawks. Memphis drafted him 56th overall in 2023. Born in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, he is a 25-year-old rookie.

Martin is out with a right thumb sprain, and the report does not say when he hurt it. An illness kept him out of the Oct. 9 preseason opener in Macao, and he made his preseason debut two days later in Dallas’ 132-115 win over Houston. After practice Tuesday, Martin did sprints with a trainer, Dallas Sports Journal observed.

Last season, his first full one in Dallas, Martin averaged 3.9 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 14.8 minutes across 58 games, including 12 starts. The Mavericks acquired him from the Philadelphia 76ers in February 2025.

Aaron Nesmith, Ben Sheppard Questionable For Indiana Pacers’ Home Opener

Indiana lists Aaron Nesmith (left hamstring strain) and Ben Sheppard (left knee soreness) as questionable. T.J. McConnell (right hamstring strain) and Johnny Furphy (right ACL repair) are out.

Nesmith sat out the preseason finale against the Milwaukee Bucks and Wednesday’s 123-120 win at New Orleans. Kelly Oubre Jr., who joined the Pacers this offseason, started in his place and finished with 4 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists in 28 minutes.

Sheppard was not on Indiana’s report for the opener. Off the bench in New Orleans, he played 12 minutes and scored 3 points.

McConnell, 34, missed all four preseason games before sitting out the opener. Furphy tore his right ACL in February. Kobe Brown and Jalen Slawson, both on two-way contracts, are probable. Braden Smith, a two-way rookie, is doubtful again after not playing in the opener.

Tyrese Haliburton is not listed. In his first regular-season game since tearing his right Achilles tendon in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals, he had 23 points, 2 rebounds, and 12 assists on 8-of-15 shooting in 34 minutes Wednesday. Pascal Siakam scored 30 points with 8 rebounds. Indiana went 19-63 last season.

Friday is the Pacers’ home opener. Pacers coach Rick Carlisle coached the Mavericks for 13 seasons and won the 2011 NBA championship in Dallas.

Dallas won its last visit to Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Feb. 22, ending a 10-game losing streak. The teams meet again Nov. 9 at American Airlines Center.