Caleb Martin was listed out on the Mavericks' injury report Tuesday evening with a right thumb injury, with an expected return of Oct 23. That rules him out of Wednesday's season opener at Houston.
What happened
The Mavericks listed Caleb Martin as out on the injury report filed Tuesday, Oct 20 at 6:16 PM ET. The listed detail is a right thumb injury. There was no prior status for the thumb on the report, and the expected return is given as Oct 23. The report's comment is an older note from Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal.com, who said Martin would play in Sunday's preseason game against the Rockets after an illness. Martin had been day-to-day with that illness from Oct 9 and was cleared on Oct 11. The thumb is a new listing, and no further detail on it is announced.
What it means for the Mavericks
Dallas opens the 2026-27 season at Houston on Wednesday, Oct 21 at 8:30 PM ET, and Martin will not be in the lineup. The 31-year-old forward averaged 3.9 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 14.8 minutes over 58 games last season, so the hole is in the wing rotation rather than the starting five. Naji Marshall, P.J. Washington and Max Christie carry the bulk of those forward minutes, with Brandon Williams and Klay Thompson behind them. There is no with-or-without-him record yet, since no regular-season games have been played. Dallas is also without Tarik Biberovic, Dereck Lively II and Santi Aldama.
What to watch
The next injury report ahead of Wednesday's game will confirm whether anything changes on the thumb. The expected return date is Oct 23, which would put Martin back for the game after the opener if the timeline holds. No other update on his availability beyond that date is announced. Watch whether the Mavericks adjust the listing before Friday or extend it.
Is Caleb Martin playing at the Rockets on Wednesday?
No. Martin is listed as out with a right thumb injury on the injury report filed Tuesday, Oct 20, so he will miss the season opener at Houston on Oct 21.
When will Caleb Martin be back?
The injury report lists an expected return of Oct 23. No timeline beyond that date is announced, and the next report will show whether it holds.