Cooper Flagg has been cleared from his day-to-day designation after sitting out Wednesday's game against the Pelicans for rest. He is set to be available for Dallas's game against the Hawks on Friday.
What happened
Cooper Flagg was cleared from his day-to-day designation Friday, Oct. 16, at 6:45 p.m. ET, after being held out for rest. Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News reported Wednesday that Flagg would sit out that night's game against the Pelicans because of rest. The forward had carried a day-to-day tag since that Wednesday report. No further detail on the rest issue was announced, and the Mavericks have not set an expected return beyond clearing him for Friday.
What it means for the Mavericks
Flagg is set to be available for Dallas's game against the Hawks on Friday at 8 p.m. ET. Last season he averaged 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists in 33.5 minutes across 70 games, numbers the Mavericks lean on heavily. With him out Wednesday, Anthony Davis (31.3 minutes, 20.4 points), P.J. Washington (31.0 minutes, 14.2 points) and Naji Marshall (29.5 minutes, 15.2 points) picked up the largest share of the workload, with Max Christie, Brandon Williams, Daniel Gafford, Klay Thompson and Marvin Bagley III also seeing extended time. The 2026-27 regular season has not started, so Dallas has no record with or without Flagg yet.
What to watch
The Mavericks have not announced an expected return date beyond clearing Flagg for Friday's game. Dallas continues its preseason slate, and the next injury report will show whether the rest issue carries into the following games. The regular season has not begun, so any further setback would be worth watching as Dallas finalizes its rotation before opening night.
Is Cooper Flagg playing vs Hawks?
Yes. Flagg was cleared from his day-to-day rest designation Friday and is set to be available for Dallas's game against the Hawks.
When will Cooper Flagg be back?
He is already cleared to play Friday against the Hawks. The Mavericks have not announced any further absence beyond the rest day that kept him out Wednesday against the Pelicans.