The Dallas Mavericks are back at home on Wednesday night to face the New York Knicks, who have yet to win a game on the road this year. This is a prime opportunity for the Mavs to bounce back and get back in the win column after getting demolished by the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday, but they’re going to have to do it without one of their best players.
ESPN’s Shams Charania revealed a few hours before tip that star rookie Cooper Flagg will miss the game with an illness. He wasn’t on the initial injury report last night, but NBA insider Marc Stein reported midday Wednesday that Cooper Flagg had been downgraded to questionable with this illness. Instead of having him push through it, the Mavs will instead miss him for the first time this season.
Breaking: Cooper Flagg will miss his first career NBA game against the Knicks due to an illness, sources tell @ShamsCharania. pic.twitter.com/QimYkvUexu
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) November 19, 2025
Flagg has started to thrive since being moved away from point guard, which is how he started the season. But in his last eight games, he’s averaging 17.3 PPG, 6.4 RPG, and 3.4 APG with more than a steal and block per game. He’s also shot better than 50% from the floor in that stretch, as he’s starting to get more comfortable around the basket.
For the season, Flagg is averaging 15.5 PPG and 6.3 RPG. The experiment to start him at point guard was a mistake, but they didn’t have any better options as Kyrie Irving returns from his ACL injury. Brandon Williams has been fine, but D’Angelo Russell and Jaden Hardy just don’t have the trust of Jason Kidd, which is understandable.
Nov 17, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) dribbles the ball against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first half at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images | Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images
READ MORE: Mavericks expected to ‘explore’ trade market for star Anthony Davis
Other Mavericks Set to Miss Knicks Game
As has been the case all year, many Mavericks are set to miss this game. Anthony Davis has missed the last nine games with a low-grade calf strain, so this will be his tenth. He’ll be re-evaluated either this weekend or early next week, but it wouldn’t be surprising if he missed the month at this point.
Irving is still out with no clear timeline for recovery, as is Dante Exum. Exum’s injury has been mysterious, and the Mavericks haven’t really said anything about it. They could use his playmaking, defense, and shooting, but it doesn’t seem like he’ll be playing any time soon.
Meanwhile, Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford seem like they’ll be back after missing Monday’s game against Minnesota. They’ll need to be back if they want a chance against New York’s frontcourt of Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson.
READ MORE: NBA expert believes Mavericks’ situation is most ‘dire’ it’s ever been
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