Mavs Injury Update: Christian Wood at Jazz? Kyrie Irving to Get Physical in Dallas
The Dallas Mavericks will be heavily shorthanded when they play their road matchup against the Utah Jazz on Monday. Luka Doncic still isn't in the lineup, Kyrie Irving is taking his physical in Texas, and two of the team's regular starters were traded.
One player the Mavs will be gaining back into the lineup is Christian Wood, who has been sidelined for the team's previous eight games with a fractured thumb, as the team announced after their shootaround.
Wood's return was to be expected considering he recently declared his target for a return was either the matchup against the Jazz, or Wednesday's game against the LA Clippers. Against Utah, a unit that features Walker Kessler, having Wood in the lineup to help on the boards will be needed.
Wood is averaging 18.4 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in 29.0 minutes per game. It's been a productive season to begin his Mavs tenure. Without him in the lineup, it has been a struggle for the team to produce nearly enough offensively to outpace the decline the defense has experienced.
In speaking of the Clippers, some have linked them as having trade interest in Wood among other targets. They were a late arrival in the Irving trade sweepstakes and are actively seeking upgrades to their roster around Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.
Barring an unlikely contract extension agreement, he is set to become an unrestricted free agent after the season.. The max deal he can sign with Dallas on an extension is a four-year, $77 million contract.
It remains to be seen what the Mavs' supporting cast will look like around Doncic and Irving after the Feb. 9 trade deadline. The team is still seeking to make upgrades to the roster given they now are the only team in the NBA with a pair of All-Star starters.
Irving is expected to complete his physical in Dallas, which is required for the trade to be made official with the league office. It's likely that Doncic and Irving are available to play in the nationally televised matchup against the Clippers.
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