Mavericks' Injury Questions Meet a Thin Hawks Group in Preseason Test

Both teams are short-handed in a preseason game, and Dallas has the slight edge at home.

ATL @ DAL Oct 17, 2026 at 12:00 AM UTC

This is a preseason game, so the result matters less than who is on the floor, and Dallas arrives with the longer list of rotation questions. Dereck Lively II is questionable with a foot injury, the most widely flagged issue heading in. If he sits, the Mavericks' frontcourt rotation and starting group have to be rearranged, and Atlanta could test whatever reserve bigs fill the gap.

Dallas' forward depth is also uncertain, with Santi Aldama questionable with a knee injury. Moussa Cisse left the Mavericks' game against New Orleans with an ankle injury, so his availability is in doubt too, which could leave the interior thin if several of these players are held out. Kyrie Irving is back from his ACL tear, but Dallas is managing his workload and he may not play much this preseason. Expect limited minutes at most, with other ball handlers carrying more of the load.

The starting lineup is worth watching. Reporting has framed the coaching staff's real deliberation as Zaccharie Risacher or Max Christie, and whichever one gets the nod offers a hint at the rotation Dallas prefers against Atlanta.

Atlanta has its own issues. Henri Veesaar is out with an ACL injury, and Wiggins and Gueye are questionable, which could thin the Hawks' rotation. Both teams look patchwork, so I lean toward the home side, which has a clearer view of its lineup choices and the comfort of its own building. Dallas wins a modest, scrappy game, 111-107.

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