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The Big D Breakdown · Morning

Mavericks Trim Camp Roster While Cisse's Workload Keeps Rising

Three roster departures, one signing, and a center logging starter's minutes before tonight's preseason game.

$197.9MPayrollabove cap, below tax line
26.0Cisse Minuteslast 5 games, up 12.0
0-0Recordpreseason split, Pelicans tonight
26-56Pelicans Last Seasonnet rating -4.4 under Mosley
By the Mavericks Nightly Desk · Wednesday, October 14

Dallas cut Darin Green Jr., Chris Mantis and Matt Cross from its camp roster on Oct. 14, replacing them with forward Jorge Diaz-Graham, one day after Green Jr. and Mantis had just signed. The moves come as Moussa Cisse's playing time keeps climbing ahead of tonight's preseason matchup with New Orleans.

Mavericks Nightly artwork
Illustration by Hoops Nightly.

Three Out, One In

Green Jr. and Mantis joined the roster on Oct. 13 and were gone by Oct. 14, alongside Matt Cross, who had signed two days earlier after New Orleans waived Caleb Houstan. Jorge Diaz-Graham takes one of the open spots as Dallas keeps shuffling the back end of its camp roster.

Cisse's Growing Workload

Moussa Cisse is up to 26.0 minutes per game over his last five outings, a jump of 12.0 minutes from his season average, and a separate stretch with a teammate out has him up 13 minutes over his last three. Guard John Poulakidas has posted a similar rise, up 12 minutes over his last three games in that same stretch.

A Lighter Pelicans Trip

New Orleans posted a -4.4 net rating last season, finishing 26-56 under Jamahl Mosley, and arrives tonight on the third of three straight road games after playing just once in the past week. Dallas is in its third preseason game in a week, coming off a split with Houston. Guard Dejounte Murray carries a toe injury tag for New Orleans, while Dallas still has Dereck Lively II, Marcus Sasser and Santi Aldama carrying injury tags of their own, each with a return target set for today.

Is Matt Cross still on the Mavericks roster?

No. Cross left the team on Oct. 14, two days after signing when New Orleans waived Caleb Houstan.

Is Dejounte Murray playing tonight against Dallas?

Murray carries a toe injury tag for New Orleans, and his status for tonight's preseason game has not been resolved.

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.

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