Last-minute Changes, Reports and News ahead of Mavericks vs. Kings

The last time Santi Aldama played an NBA game, it was in Sacramento. He had 12 points, six boards, and his team won. However, that was 271 days ago. And tonight, the Mavericks play Sacramento. And Dusty May has said that Santi's target date is in the near future, so is tonight the night he finally steps back on the floor? Short answer, well he's doubtful, but the long answer is the real story, because every date for this guy has been moved around. Santi came over from Memphis in July, which means Mavs fans, we haven't seen him in a Dallas jersey in a real game. Not once. Go back to August, Mark Stein reported that Dallas believed Santi would be ready for training camp around September 23rd. Camp came and went, the regular season started, and the Mavericks have now played six games, All of them without him. Then, on October 27th, the Mavs sent him to the Texas Legends to practice, a return to play step, and recalled him the same day. Since then, his status has bounced. Doubtful against OKC, then out. Doubtful against Houston, then out. And now, doubtful against the Kings. So when someone says near future, I think you're allowed to be a little skeptical about it. Now, starting on October 15th, Dusty May said, quote, He's getting close. I don't know if that's tomorrow or the next day. Now, he also said, quote, will he be ready next week? There's a possibility, but that was 18 days ago. The Mavs have played six games since. But now let's look at how Dusty May's language has changed when talking about Santi. By October 30th, the language had moved up a notch. May said Santi is, quote, very close. He said he looks to be very close. Now it's a target date, and Rotowire's feed has expected return as November 4th, which is this Wednesday when they'll take on the San Antonio Spurs. And to be clear, that's not the date that Dusty May has given. November 4th is just what the report lists, so let's treat it as a target, not a promise. And Santi himself posted on Instagram on Sunday, he wrote, Eight months of a lot of hard work, a lot of patience, and a lot of eagerness to come back closer every day. Now that's the most optimistic anyone around this has sounded in months, and it's the guy who's actually injured. Now, if you want to be around when he does make his debut and for all the watch lungs we're going to have this season, well, subscribe. We're currently at 26,715 subscribers, and we're on our way to get to the 27,000 mark. So what is Santi coming back to? To start with, Cooper Flagg is averaging 26.8, 6 rebounds and 6.6 assists through his first five games. And he opened the season with 32 points against Houston, the most by a teenager in a season opener in NBA history. And he had 26 points and 8 assists against OKC. Then there's Kyrie Irving. He tore his ACL on March 3rd of 2025, and he's playing real minutes again. He's at 21.4 points a game and 39% from three. And notice, he's played five of the six games as well. Flag two, this team has had its stars in and out already. And here's the number that tells me that Dallas still needs help and where Santee can do it. The Mavs are 4-2, but they rank 13th in net rating at plus 2.5. They're 14th in points scored at 114.3 a game and 15th in defensive rating at 112. It's a good team, but it's not a great one just yet. They beat Oklahoma City 120-96 by hitting 16 threes, a season high. OKC, well, they made 5 of 32. So some of that is hot shooting and some of that is the other team. But at the end of the day, the Mavericks look better every single game. And the center spot is basically just Daniel Gafford at this point, who started all six games with eight and a half points and seven rebounds a game. And Santee, although he's more of a forward, can play in that center role. Now, Moraes Johnson has played in all six, all of them off the bench at 6.3 points a game, so there's an open door for a big who can shoot if he's healthy. Here's the thing, though. Dallas is 4-2 and on a three-game winning streak. Last week, they went 26-56. And they've done this without Santee, without Derek Lively, and at some times with Kyrie Irving managing his left knee. So what exactly does Santi add? Well, first, shooting from the spot where it matters. With Memphis last season, he made 55.1% of his corner threes. That's 99th percentile in the NBA. Even more interesting, he started only 11 of those 43 games. So he was a sixth-man type for Memphis, and Dallas can use him the same way, off the bench next to Gafford. And he did it as a big man who averaged 14 points, 6.7 boards, and 2.9 assists a game in 43 games. Now, he took 4.7 threes a game last season and made 35% of them. The year before, it was five attempts at 36.8. Last year, he did it in 27.9 minutes a game. For Dallas, that's a stretch big who can play next to Flagg and Irving and open the floor for both of them. That fits a roster that needs size while Lively is out. And it's a contract year in disguise. He makes $17 million this season, and a 2027-2028 is a team option. So Dallas isn't just waiting for a good player. They're waiting to find out if that option is worth picking up. And remember what May said about Santi's body. He's been out for 271 days. So I expect him to be a slow ramp-up, not 30 minutes a night automatically. Now tonight, Sacramento 0-6 and last in the West, so it should be easy, right? Well, it's not the record. Through five games, they had the 28th ranked defense giving up 121.5 points per 100 possessions, and they rank 26th in offense. Their net rating is minus 15.7, the second worst in the league, and they've lost to the Clippers by 25, San Antonio by 27, and Memphis by 31. Now, I say this carefully, not to jinx, but they have not held a single opponent under 121 points this season. And rookie Darius Acuff Jr., a guy we spent a lot of the offseason talking about, He's averaging 26.3 points through six games and had 38 in Memphis with nine threes, which tied an NBA rookie record. Now, as for their injuries, Zach Levine is questionable with an elbow injury, so they could be even thinner, but a desperate 0-6 team with a hot rookie, it's not exactly a gift. And the Mavs have their own roster call. Sasser sat most of the Houston game, and May said he didn't enjoy that decision. For Dallas, of course, the big name is Kyrie. He's questionable with left knee management after scoring 35 against Houston, 16 of those in the fourth quarter. He and Cooper Flagg combined for 68 points and 15 assists in that win. If Kyrie sits, that's the engine. Now, the official injury report is lively. Bobrovich and De La Rhea out, and Najee Marshall is back after illness. Zach Levine is the one to watch, even with the elbow. That's 26 points a game, and his deal is nearly $49 million, expires after the season, so he's a big part of that. Then, of course, is the guy that the trade rumors will never cease to end, Domantas Sabonis, who is averaging 17 points and 16 rebounds on 70% shooting, taking only about 10 shots a game, too. If the Mavs let him live on the glass, that's the scary part of this team. And remember, although this Kings team was not good last year, they beat Dallas 2 of 3 last year, including a 130-121 finish in Dallas on February 26th. And one more thing, because it's a news and rumors vid, right? ESPN reported that Kyrie could be available in trade talks. But let's stop there, because I'm done with this whole Kyrie Irving stuff. Masai Ujiri, the new president, has said publicly that the team does believe in him. So, two messages, one player, and the way that gets answered is by how the Mavs look with and without him on the floor, and I guarantee you right now, they're going to look a lot better with him on the floor. And of course, alongside Kyrie Irving trade talks, well, Levine, Sabonis, they're also trade candidates, according to Heavy. Now, they're both at about $49 million and $45.5 million, so talks around them are surrounding as well. But here's what I'm watching for tonight's game. First, the injury report around 5.30 p.m. Central Time. Kyrie is questionable, Santi is doubtful, and everything else hangs off of those two lines. One other thing, we're live for this game tonight, so come check us out right before the game, 6:30 p.m. Central Time. I'll be live, and we'll have this game for you. Second, the glass. Sabonis is at 16 rebounds a game and Dallas is at 43.7 a team. Gafford has to hold him off with seven rebounds a game of his own. Third is the start. Sacramento has lost six straight and a team that is desperate usually throws its best punch early. If Dallas is flat for 12 minutes, well, the Kings can stay in this one. However, if Dallas takes control early, watch the minutes because the blot is exactly when a coach lets a guy test his knee. Now I still don't think Santi plays tonight. He's doubtful, he's been doubtful four times, and there's no reason to push it against an 0-6 team. Dallas is the better team, they're at home, and Sacramento is 0-6. I think the Mavs win this game by about 10, and I'm probably expecting Flagg to go off again, I'll say 25 or more. Now if Santi does play, it's a bonus. If he doesn't, the next date to circle is Wednesday, November 4th. But I'd be surprised if November 4th goes by without a real update. Either he's in, or we find out why he has been doubtful for so many games. I mean, it's the Spurs, for goodness sake. You kind of need everybody out there. Now tell me, though, does Dallas need Santi right now, or do they win tonight and keep building without him? Comment your score and your pick for tonight's game down in the comments section. Either way, we'll have the full game right here on Mavericks Digest, again live at 6.30 p.m. Central Time. Tip is right after at 7. We'll be here for the game, and we'll see you there. For now, peace out, guys.