Max Christie Ruled Out, Santi Aldama Upgraded To Questionable As Dallas Mavericks Visit San Antonio Spurs

SAN ANTONIO — The Dallas Mavericks ruled out Max Christie with right hip soreness and tightness for Wednesday’s game against the San Antonio Spurs. The starting guard left Monday’s 115-100 home loss to the Sacramento Kings in the second quarter and did not return. Santi Aldama is questionable with his right knee surgery designation, up from doubtful on Monday’s report.

Caleb Martin is available while playing with a splint on his right thumb. Tarik Biberović (right heel bursitis), Sergio De Larrea (right knee sprain), and Dereck Lively II (right foot surgery) are out.

Kyrie Irving, who sat out Monday with left knee injury management, is not on the report. Neither is Cooper Flagg, who missed the Oct. 24 meeting with San Antonio because of a left shoulder sprain.

Max Christie Ruled Out After Hip Injury Against Sacramento Kings

Christie went to the floor after a turnover midway through the second quarter Monday and checked out at the 6:59 mark. Early in the second half, the Mavericks announced he would not return because of a right hip injury. He finished scoreless on 0-of-5 shooting, all of it from three-point range, in 7 minutes and 40 seconds. Walter Clayton Jr. started the second half in his place and scored 11 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter.

Mavericks coach Dusty May said after the game that he did not see the play on which Christie was hurt. He also did not see Flagg grab at his shoulder late in the fourth quarter, May said.

“I just saw that he was hobbling a little bit,” May said. “They just said we’ll evaluate him tomorrow. Typically, the night of, it’s tough to have a clear evaluation, but we’ll reevaluate in the next couple days.”

Christie has started all seven of Dallas’ games this season. He is averaging 7.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 23.7 minutes while shooting 33.3% from the field, and he has made 10 of his 37 attempts from three-point range. Before the Oct. 24 game against San Antonio, he was listed as questionable with a right shin contusion, then played 26 minutes and scored 5 points that night.

Last season, his first full one in Dallas, Christie averaged 12.3 points across 77 games, 68 of them starts. He shot 40.4% from three.

Dallas went 7-of-33 from three-point range Monday. Outside of Clayton’s 4-of-5 night, the Mavericks were 3-of-28.

“He’s put in a lot of work,” May explained. “He deserves to have success. He had a great summer, and there’s ebbs and flows and ups and downs in any season. We always just kind of stress that water is going to find its level and just keep moving forward, whether things are going well or whether things are going poorly.”

“Just keep preparing the right way and keep believing and having faith, and your time will come,” May continued. “So, just, 82-game season, we’re confident that water is going to find its level on our shooters.”

Santi Aldama Questionable As Dallas Mavericks Visit San Antonio Spurs

Aldama has not played since Feb. 4, when he was still with the Memphis Grizzlies. He had an arthroscopic procedure on his right knee on March 17, along with an orthobiologic injection to address discomfort in the knee. The procedure ended his season. Over 43 games that season, 11 of them starts, Aldama averaged career highs of 14.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in 27.9 minutes.

Dallas acquired him in a six-team trade on July 8. He sat out all four preseason games and has missed all seven regular-season games.

On Oct. 27, the Mavericks assigned Aldama to the Texas Legends so he could practice with their G League affiliate as part of his return-to-play protocol, then recalled him the same day. He was listed as doubtful for each of the next two games and did not play in either. Earlier in his Oct. 30 pregame availability, May named Aldama and Lively as the two players Dallas still had on the sidelines.

“Santi’s very close,” May said. “He’s practiced with the Legends a couple times. He played in our stay-ready game. He looks to be very close.”

Monday’s report moved Aldama from out to doubtful, and De Larrea stayed out with the knee sprain. Neither played against Sacramento.

“I haven’t heard any updates on [De Larrea]. I just see he’ll be re-evaluated soon,” May said before that game. “Santi … he’s moving closer and closer. I think for him, it’s coming very soon.”

De Larrea has appeared in four of Dallas’ seven games and is averaging 5.3 points in 11.5 minutes, going 3-of-5 from three-point range. The rookie guard had 21 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists on 9-of-15 shooting in 33 minutes off the bench in the Oct. 24 loss to San Antonio.

Biberović, also a rookie, has not appeared in a regular-season NBA game. Lively has not played since Nov. 21, 2025. Martin missed Dallas’ first four games with a right thumb sprain and has played in each of the last three, starting one. He is averaging 7.7 points and 2.7 rebounds in 20.0 minutes and has made 5 of his 9 three-point attempts.

Monday was the second game Irving has missed this season. Through five games, he is averaging 21.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 4.8 assists in 28.6 minutes. He scored 35 points in Friday’s 116-111 win over the Houston Rockets, his fifth game since tearing the ACL in his left knee on March 3, 2025.

San Antonio enters at 5-2 and has won five straight, starting with its 122-106 win at American Airlines Center on Oct. 24. Victor Wembanyama had 23 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 blocks in that game, and Dylan Harper scored 22. Wembanyama is averaging 25.7 points and 10.7 rebounds this season, along with a league-leading 4.0 blocks per game.

The Spurs beat the Utah Jazz 119-97 at home Monday. Tobias Harris (calf) and rookie Jayden Quaintance (knee) have not played for San Antonio this season.

Tip-off at Frost Bank Center is set for 8:30 p.m. CT on ESPN. Dallas returns home Friday to host Utah in its second NBA Cup group-play game.