Hoops Rumors Links Irving, Flagg, Lively and May, Says…

By the Mavericks Nightly Desk · Monday, September 28

Hoops Rumors bundled Kyrie Irving, Cooper Flagg, Dereck Lively II and head coach Dusty May into one Saturday headline with no detail beyond the names. Camp still has three players targeting return dates ahead of the Oct. 21 opener at Houston, and Dallas carries $197.9 million in payroll, under the $200.4 million tax line.

Mavericks Nightly artwork — Illustration by Hoops Nightly.

Four Names, Zero Detail

Hoops Rumors' Saturday notes column grouped Irving, Flagg, Lively and May under one headline, and the outlet gave no further detail beyond that pairing. It follows a Sept. 26 notes piece on Biberovic, Risacher, Aldama and De Larrea that was equally thin. Neither report moves any of the five names forward on its own; they are worth watching for what comes next, not for what has been said so far.

Camp's Health Watch

Three Mavericks carry current injury tags. Dereck Lively II is working back from a foot injury and targets an Oct. 9 return; Kyrie Irving, coming off a left knee issue, targets the same date. Santi Aldama's right knee has him aiming for Oct. 1. A Sept. 23 report specifically flagged Lively as not yet cleared for camp, raising real doubt about whether he plays any of Dallas' four preseason games.

The Clock Starts Oct. 9

Preseason opens Oct. 9 against Houston, with a rematch two days later, then home dates with New Orleans on Oct. 14 and Atlanta on Oct. 16. The regular season opener is set for Oct. 21, also at Houston. Last season's Mavericks finished 26-56 with a -5.2 net rating, 22nd in the league; that number is the baseline Dusty May's group is trying to beat before games start counting again.

Is Dereck Lively II cleared for Mavericks camp?

Not yet as of a Sept. 23 report; the team's target date for his return is Oct. 9, the same date as Dallas' preseason opener against Houston.

What is the Mavericks' payroll heading into 2026-27?

Dallas carries $197.9 million in payroll, above the cap but under the $200.4 million luxury tax line, topped by a $39.5 million salary for Kyrie Irving.

By the Mavericks Nightly Desk, written from the club's data and the reports on file, with every name and number checked against them. How the desks work.