Grading every Dallas Mavericks player at NBA's midseason mark

The Dallas Mavericks are officially halfway through the NBA season (technically, they're a game past, but they had games on back-to-back days). It has been far from the season they imagined it would be, as they sit with a 16-26 record and are a few games out of the final spot in the Play-In Tournament.

With the season officially halfway over, here's a midseason report card based on the season so far. Every player will be getting a grade, including two-way players. Players will be sorted alphabetically by their last name, if you're looking for someone in particular. They'll be graded based on their expectations entering the season as well as their performance.

Dallas Mavericks Midseason Report Card

Max Christie, A

Max Christie has been one of the few bright spots on this team, averaging 12.3 PPG while shooting a blistering 44.1% from three. He's 9th in the NBA in three-point percentage across qualifying players, which is why Jason Kidd has been challenging him to shoot more, but he's also developed a better ability to get to the basket and finish at the rim. He's a legitimate building block.

Moussa Cisse, B

Moussa Cisse may be on a two-way contract, but he's still had a sizable impact in his limited role. He's averaging over a block per game and 4.3 RPG despite only playing about 11 minutes per game. His per 36 numbers are off the charts, and while he's incredibly raw offensively, that's okay. But he's third among all rookies in blocks per game; that's something they can build on.

Anthony Davis, D

Mavericks fans were already frustrated with Anthony Davis, and this season has only made it worse. He's played in just 20 of 42 games this season, and is now out for at least six weeks because of ligament damage in his hand. He had some big games when he played, but he also had some real stinkers, like his 2-point outing against the OKC Thunder, with his only bucket coming with about 20 seconds before he checked out of the game and with the team down by nearly 30. The front office has been trying to find a trade for him, and the sooner both sides move on, the better.

Dante Exum, F

This is more of a grade reflecting Nico Harrison, who waived and stretched Olivier-Maxence Prosper's contract over the next three seasons to sign Exum, who won't play at all for the Mavs this year. He had a procedure on his knee over the offseason, but there were complications from it, requiring a second midseason surgery that will knock him out for the year. The Mavericks could've used that roster spot on literally anything else.

Cooper Flagg, A+

Cooper Flagg was the first overall pick for a reason, but he's still outperforming expectations. He continues to get better, and he played at an All-Star level for most of December. He likely won't make the All-Star Game, but that shouldn't discount the tremendous success he's had this year. The three-point shot is still developing, but don't count him out from figuring that out before the end of the year. He may not be running away with the Rookie of the Year award, but that's because Kon Knueppel has also had an outstanding season in Charlotte.

Jan 14, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) looks on during the game against the Denver Nuggets at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Daniel Gafford, C-

Daniel Gafford has been in and out of the lineup with an ankle injury that can't quite get healthy, so that's making things difficult, but he hasn't been as impactful when he's been in. Part of the reason is that he's spent time as Anthony Davis' backup or playing alongside him, which just isn't a good fit. It wouldn't be surprising to see him traded before the deadline in a few weeks.

Jaden Hardy, D

Hardy hasn't played a lot this year, mostly getting mop-up duty in blowouts, averaging 6.9 PPG in 29 appearances. He has started the last few games, but he's still a wildly inefficient player at 39.5% shooting from the floor. His contract of $6 million per year is an overpay for a fringe rotation player, so the Mavs may look to move off him in the next few weeks.

Kyrie Irving, C (probably should just be incomplete)

It's hard to say what the expectations were for Kyrie Irving this season since we knew he'd be recovering from a torn ACL for at least most of the season. And with the way the season has gone, it'd be best to just hold him out for most of the year. It'd be understandable to let him get a few games before the season ends to get back in a rhythm, but there's no reason to risk him getting further injured in a wasted season.

Miles Kelly, C+

Miles Kelly has only appeared in six games on his two-way contract, but he did have 9 points with three made threes on Thursday night against the Utah Jazz. In 12 games in the G-League, he's averaged 19.3 PPG while shooting 36.8% from three, so there's something there.

Dereck Lively II, D-

Dereck Lively II only played in 7 games this year due to knee and eventually foot issues. He had foot surgery in December, which is his third procedure in a calendar year on his right foot. That's a concerning trend for a 7-footer. He was decent when he played, but his impact will never be the same without an other-worldly playmaker. And the point guard situation at the start

Naji Marshall, B+

This could easily be an A-, because Naji Marshall has been one of the most consistent players all year. He plays a lot, he has become automatic in the paint, and he provides great energy. His defense has stepped down just slightly from where he was last year, and he's still not a great three-point shooter. That's the only thing knocking him down a little bit.

Caleb Martin, D-

A week ago, this would've been an F-. But Martin has actually stepped UP in the last two games, looking like an actual NBA rotation player. He was horrific at the start of the season; arguably the worst player in the NBA. But now he's just bad.

Ryan Nembhard, A-

Another two-way contract player who has legitimate production, Nembhard completely changed the offense when he was inserted into the starting lineup. He's given just about everything you could ask for from an undrafted rookie free agent, and he's in line to receive a standard NBA contract as soon as there's space.

Jan 1, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Ryan Nembhard (9) looks on during the game between the Mavericks and the 76ers at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Dwight Powell, A

Dwight Powell. Nothing more.

Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, C+

Jeremiah Robinson-Earl just signed a 10-day contract ahead of Thursday's game and was solid. He even played more minutes than D'Angelo Russell! Which isn't saying much, since Jason Kidd hates him.

D'Angelo Russell, F-

Speaking of which... I was not a fan of this signing when it first started getting rumored over the summer, and he's somehow still performed worse than those expectations. Jason Kidd clearly just does not like him, which makes sense, because he's a bad basketball player.

Klay Thompson, B

Klay Thompson started the season terribly, but he's really made up for it since, shooting 39.5% from three since the start of December, and his professionalism has truly been on another level. You can't ask for a better veteran presence, even if he's a little overpaid.

P.J. Washington, C-

P.J. Washington has been in and out of the lineup, and his shooting has fallen off from when he was playing with Luka Doncic. Shocking, I know. He still does a lot of things well, but he hasn't been as effective as you'd hope.

Brandon Williams, B+

Brandon Williams has been lightning in a bottle this year, providing the offense with a much-needed spark all season. He's going to make himself some money this offseason. Williams has been averaging 11.9 PPG this year, and while the three-point shot has been struggling, you can't discount the impact he's been making.

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