Mavericks return home to face lowly Brooklyn Nets in rare happenstance

The Dallas Mavericks are coming off a blowout loss to the Chicago Bulls on Saturday evening, as they find out which direction they need to go in before the trade deadline: tank or fight. This next stretch of games will go a long way toward deciding that.

It starts with a game against the Brooklyn Nets on Monday night, a team that they just beat before Christmas, 119-111, but Anthony Davis played in that game, and he won't be available for likely the next month or two. But this comes in a rare instance, as this is the second time that the Nets, and Eastern Conference team, will be playing in the American Airlines Center this season.

That game in December only happened because of results from the NBA Cup qualifiers, something neither team did well in. Usually, teams from opposing conferences only play each other twice, once in each building. But that changed with the NBA Cup, as they only schedule 80 games ahead of the year, then schedule two more after the Cup.

Jan 6, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Anthony Davis (3) reacts after being fouled against the Sacramento Kings in the first quarter at the Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

The sooner the Mavericks realize that they need to tank, the better. A loss to the Nets could go a long way toward that realization.

After Brooklyn lost to the Mavericks in December, they ripped off a streak where they won 5 of 6 games, beating teams like the Philadelphia 76ers and Minnesota Timberwolves, but they've since lost 6 of their last 7 games, including on Sunday night to the Memphis Grizzlies, making this game against the Mavs the second of a back-to-back.

Brooklyn is still a frisky team, especially when Michael Porter Jr. plays. He's a major trade candidate because of the way he's been playing this year, averaging 25.9 PPG while shooting 49% from the floor and 39.7% from three on HIGH volume. He didn't play against the Grizzlies on Sunday due to rest, so he might be good to go here. But they may also be holding him out before he's traded. If only the Mavericks had done that with Anthony Davis.