‘Santi’s Very Close’: Dallas Mavericks Rule Out Santi Aldama, Tarik Biberović As Naji Marshall Returns vs. Houston Rockets

DALLAS — After two games out with an illness, Naji Marshall is available for the Dallas Mavericks against the Houston Rockets on Friday night. The same update moved Santi Aldama and Tarik Biberović from doubtful to out.

Caleb Martin, who has been playing with a splint on his right thumb, is available as well. Sergio De Larrea is out with a right knee sprain, and Dereck Lively II remains out as he recovers from right foot surgery. Tip-off at American Airlines Center is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT.

Naji Marshall Available After Two-Game Absence

Marshall last played on Oct. 24, when the San Antonio Spurs beat Dallas 122-106 in the home opener. Over his first three games of the season, he put up 13.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game.

Mavericks coach Dusty May met with reporters before Dallas finalized Marshall’s status for the game. At that point, the forward was still listed as probable.

“He’s going to go through warm-ups and then we’ll have a better answer after this next hour or so,” May said.

Dallas won both games Marshall missed. The Mavericks beat the Miami Heat 113-109 on Monday and the Oklahoma City Thunder 120-96 on Wednesday to move to 3-2. Martin made his season debut against the Thunder after a right thumb sprain kept him out of the first four games, and he finished with 10 points in 13:49.

Santi Aldama, Tarik Biberović Downgraded To Out

Aldama has not played for the Mavericks since Dallas acquired him from the Memphis Grizzlies in a July 8 trade. His last NBA game came Feb. 4, and he had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee on March 17. On Tuesday, the Mavericks assigned him to the Texas Legends so he could practice as part of his return-to-play protocol, and he was recalled that same day. Aldama was still listed as doubtful when May spoke before Friday’s game.

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

Biberović has not appeared in a regular-season NBA game. The right heel bursitis has kept him off the floor since the preseason finale. He last played on Oct. 11 in Macao, coming off the bench in Dallas’ preseason win over Houston. De Larrea will miss a second straight game after spraining his right knee in Monday’s win at Miami.

“Tarik’s getting very close as well. Not quite as close as Santi, it doesn’t appear,” May explained. “But Larry will be reevaluated next week and we’ll have a much clearer picture.”

Dereck Lively II Making Major Progress

Lively has not played since Nov. 21, 2025, and he is working back from his third right foot surgery in a calendar year. He appeared in seven games last season before the December operation.

“Oh, man, just to see someone that big, agile, that communicates. It’s a lob threat, rim presence on both sides of the ball,” May said. “If you have someone that can impact the rim on offense and defense like he does, but also just the live body and energy. You just don’t see. I mean, the first time I saw him running, whatever, a month or two ago, I said 7-2 guys aren’t supposed to run that easy.”

“And so he’s going to add a lot. I don’t know what his timetable is, but he’s making major progress. He looks great,” May continued. “But he’s still going through his process.”

Morez Johnson Jr., the ninth overall pick in June’s draft, is still playing on a minutes restriction. Johnson dealt with medical issues through the summer and much of the preseason.

“Very happy with Rez. Obviously, when you don’t practice and you don’t do shootarounds for an extended period of time, you’re not going to have great game rhythm,” May said. “But there have been a couple games, and it all kind of runs together now as they start coming at you so quickly. But there’s been several games in the first half he just was frustrated with his play, and even those games he made, I don’t know if it’s called momentum-changing plays, but he made big plays down the stretch of all of our wins. Maybe it’s a deflection on one end, the putback at Indiana, the putback the other night in Miami.”

“He’s made some really timely plays, and when you look at the amount of minutes and his production, he’s fine,” May continued. “But Rez, he’s a guy that’s going to impact winning every single possession, especially once he gets off the minutes restriction. He gets in his normal game shape. He’s just in the process of a buildup now to continue to strengthen and not throw him in the fire too quickly. But very pleased with Rez.”

Houston’s latest report still lists Alperen Şengün as questionable with low back soreness after he missed Wednesday’s win at Milwaukee. Marcus Smart is also questionable with a left forearm strain. Reed Sheppard is out with low back soreness, and Steven Adams is out with a right soleus strain. The Rockets, who are 5-0, return to Toyota Center for the second night of a back-to-back Saturday against Oklahoma City.