The outlets covering Dallas are debating who starts next to Cooper Flagg and whether Kyrie Irving finishes the season in Dallas, while one piece argues Lively's slow return already settled part of that question. The team's own lineup and workload numbers back some of it and leave the rest unconfirmed.
Lively's Slow Clock
The Smoking Cuban's Noah Weber argued Lively's deliberate pace through camp looks smart given the extension rumors now swirling, and in a second piece tied his uncertain status to a simpler starting five for Dallas. The roster's own injury list still lists him day-to-day with an estimated return of Oct. 9, the date of Dallas's game against Houston, and last season's most-used five-man look already ran Gafford at center next to Washington, Christie and Flagg without him on the floor.
Risacher Or Christie
Three Smoking Cuban writers — Noah Weber, Sameer Moosa and Will Miller — all made the case this week that Zaccharie Risacher is ready to start and even a Most Improved Player contender, while colleague Jake Schroeder tied Max Christie's hold on the job to his defense. Last season's minutes split runs the other way: Christie logged 29.1 minutes a night and shot 40.4 percent from three across 77 games, against 22.4 minutes and 36.8 percent for Risacher across 67, and none of Dallas's three most-used five-man groups a year ago included Risacher at all.
Kyrie's Longevity Debate
ESPN reported that Danny Green doesn't see Kyrie Irving staying in Dallas for the full season, and Mavs Moneyball's season preview framed the same question as whether he returns to form after last year's injury. Nothing in the rumor mill ties Irving to an actual trade, and the current injury list carries no restriction on him at all, unlike the day-to-day tags on Lively and two teammates. Irving's $39.5 million remains the largest contract on Dallas's roster, with the team's $197.9 million payroll sitting below the $200.4 million tax line — numbers built around a full season, whatever Green projects.
Is Lively expected to play when Dallas faces Houston?
He is listed day-to-day with an estimated return of Oct. 9, the date of that game, though no outlet has reported him cleared yet.
Has any outlet reported Kyrie Irving could be traded this season?
No report ties Irving to an actual trade; the Danny Green comment was about whether he finishes the season in Dallas, not a deal in motion.
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