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The Dallas Mavericks are set to play the Washington Wizards on Thursday night. Dallas is beginning to get healthy, as Klay Thompson and Dereck Lively II recently returned from injury and they are not on Thursday’s injury report. However, Naji Marshall has been ruled out for the game due to an illness, per the NBA injury report. Additionally, Dante Exum remains out as he recovers from right wrist surgery.
Marshall has been dealing with the illness over the past week. The 14-8 Mavs will still enter Thursday’s game against the 2-17 Wizards with confidence, but Dallas is hoping Marshall can return soon.
Naji Marshall has played at a high level while on the floor this season.
Marshall, 26, is averaging 11.6 points per game on 54.4 percent field goal shooting. He is also averaging 3.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.0 steals per outing. Marshall has played in 20 total games during the 2024-25 campaign, starting seven games.
He played in New Orleans with the Pelicans from 2020-21-to 2023-24, but was acquired by the Mavericks this past offseason. Dallas wanted to add depth and they felt that Marshall could help the team take another step forward. Sure enough, Marshall has been a pleasant surprise.
Dallas is fresh off a 121-116 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies at home. Despite trailing in the fourth quarter, the Mavs were able to complete the come-from-behind win.
Meanwhile, the Wizards were most recently defeated 118-87 by the Cleveland Cavaliers. It has been a difficult season for Washington to say the least.
With all of that being said, the Mavericks cannot afford to overlook the Wizards. Washington would love to pull off the shocking upset in front of their home fans. Dallas needs to begin the game with energy and take control early in the contest.
Tip-off is scheduled for 7 PM EST in Washington as the Mavericks look to defeat the Wizards on the road.
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Three potential trade destinations for Grizzlies' Ja Morant
The Memphis Grizzlies' (3-3) 2025-26 season is just six games old, yet issues have already begun to arise with star point guard Ja Morant. Friday night’s loss at home to the Los Angeles Lakers (4-2) saw the 2019 second overall pick struggle to the tune of just eight points, seven assists and one rebound on 3-of-14 shooting, which included going 0/6 from beyond the arc. While that performance was concerning enough for the Grizzlies, the way Morant handled himself during and after the game was even worse. Morant was seen avoiding the huddle during an in-game timeout, and in his postgame press conference, he quickly directed the blame for his off night onto the coaching staff. Those actions have since led to Morant being suspended one game by the Grizzlies for conduct detrimental to the team. It’s yet another ugly situation for Morant in Memphis, adding to a long list of issues that have emerged on and off the court. It couldn’t be more obvious that both the player and team need a breakup, so let’s take a look at the three best fits for Morant to get said change of scenery. Minnesota Timberwolves No team is in more desperate need of a point guard than the Timberwolves. Mike Conley, 38, has been starting at the position in recent games, and, as solid a career as he’s had, that is not a good thing at this point. Anthony Edwards feels like the only true offensive creator in Minnesota, so bringing in Morant would give both guys the freedom to feed off one another as a 1-2 punch. The T-Wolves will always be Edwards’ team, which could greatly benefit Morant by allowing him to focus on his game rather than deal with all that comes with being the face of a franchise. Toronto Raptors Something's got to give in Toronto. The time for patience has passed, and the excuses have to stop. This roster has more than enough talent to compete for a top-six seed in the Eastern Conference, yet it’s still just not working. Immanuel Quickley has often been injured and, quite frankly, has not been cutting it even when on the court. The Raptors have lots of nice pieces, but they lack that true closer when the game gets into crunch time; enter Morant. At 26 years old, he fits right into the timeline to win with Scottie Barnes (24), Brandon Ingram (28) and RJ Barrett (25) as the core in Toronto. Time for another Kawhi Leonard-esque splash from Bobby Webster and company. Washington Wizards The third and final team that could be a sneaky good landing spot is the Wizards. Washington finally appears to have a direction and will eventually be able to start adding higher-end talent around the young nucleus they’re building. They may not be a contender anytime soon, but Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George, Tre Johnson and Bilal Coulibaly have it feeling like the culture is shifting positively. Given that expectations are low, Morant could come in alongside all of this young talent, play his game and put the distractions aside. Not to mention the Wizards could probably make things work with Memphis thanks to their cap space and draft capital.
Intriguing reunion on table for Steelers with trade deadline nearing
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a team that is looking to solidify itself as a competitor in the AFC for the 2025 season, and the franchise should be looking to make some moves around the trade deadline. The organization already brought in safety Kyle Dugger from the New England Patriots, and he made an immediate impact in a win over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. The Steelers could use some help on the offensive side of the ball as well, but more additions could be made to shore up the defense as well. There is some positional uncertainty at safety for the Steelers as well as a bunch of injuries. The position has changed a ton throughout the season, and the Steelers could certainly use some more depth in the area. Unfortunately, Minkah Fitzpatrick would only be an option if he were to be cut as Pittsburgh cannot trade for him within two years of trading him away. However, his former running mate, Damontae Kazee, is a potential option for the Steelers after he was released by the Cleveland Browns on Monday. Kazee is a veteran with a good amount of experience, and he could certainly sign with Pittsburgh if the front office wants him to return to the black and gold. However, there are other safety-needy teams throughout the league as well. The coaching staff in the Steel City understands and appreciates familiar voices on the roster, and Kazee could provide decent depth while also being familiar with the defense and everyone in the building. Juan Thornhill and Chuck Clark have been other contributors at safety for the Steelers in 2025, but there is a real chance that Kazee might be a better option than either of those players. Both Thornhill and Clark have seemed to be at the center of communication issues in the secondary, and whenever there is an obvious coverage bust, Clark seems to always be one of the players closest to it. Kazee signed with the Browns during the 2025 offseason, and he had only played in four games through the first nine weeks of the season. He had been on the field for just 11 defensive snaps, as he seemed to be more of a special teamer in Cleveland. Despite the reduced role in 2025, he could provide some value to Pittsburgh, even if he is just signed to the practice squad. The fan base in Pittsburgh might not have always loved Kazee, but he played a lot of football for the Steelers throughout the three seasons he spent with the team. At the very least, he provides depth for Pittsburgh at a position of need, and he wouldn't be expensive to sign. This is the type of signing the Steelers would make, and it completely makes sense to do so. Pittsburgh Steelers have found a successful safety combination Ahead of Pittsburgh's game on Sunday against the Colts, it was announced that cornerback Jalen Ramsey would be playing exclusively free safety. He had been playing some safety throughout the year depending on what the opposing offense was doing, but on Sunday, he did not leave the position. It was Ramsey and Dugger leading the way in the defensive backfield, and the duo had a pretty good day. It will be interesting to see if that is something the Steelers continue to use in the coming weeks, but it probably should be since it was so effective against the best offense in the NFL.
The 'NFL franchise TD-catch leaders' quiz
Happy 37th birthday to three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver and 2012 PFWA Most Improved Player award winner, Dez Bryant! The Oklahoma State product played in nine NFL seasons, eight of which were with the Dallas Cowboys. In his time with Big D he caught 531 passes for 7,506 yards and a franchise-record 73 touchdowns. He also served as an important bridge for Dallas in the Tony Romo-Dak Prescott transition, catching 50 passes for 796 yards and eight scores in Prescott’s 2016 rookie campaign. His time in Dallas ended with an achilles injury in 2017, but he did catch on for six games with the Baltimore Ravens in 2020 before hanging up his cleats. Which brings us to today’s quiz. How many of the players with the most receiving touchdowns for each NFL franchise can you name in five minutes? Good luck! Did you like this quiz? Are there any quizzes you’d like to see us make in the future? Let us know your thoughts at quizzes@yardbarker.com, and make sure to subscribe to our Quiz of the Day Newsletter for daily quizzes sent right to your email!
Cowboys send starting defender to IR, elevate 3 players for MNF
With all the trade talk surrounding the Dallas Cowboys, it’s easy to forget they still have a game to play in Week 9. Dallas will be in action on Monday Night Football, as they host the Arizona Cardinals. With Kyler Murray out due to a foot injury, the Cowboys will be facing Jacoby Brissett as they hope to go into the bye week on a winning note. As the game approaches, the Cowboys announced a flurry of roster moves. The biggest will be the return of starting center Cooper Beebe, who has been out since their Week 2 win over the New York Giants. While Beebe returns to the roster, Dallas sent another starter to the IR. Linebacker Jack Sanborn, who has started five of six games he played in this season, but will be out for at least the next four games due to a groin injury. Sanborn, who followed defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus from Chicago, has 34 tackles and one pass defense this season. Cowboys announce game day elevations In addition to the Beebe and Sanborn news, the Cowboys also announced three players would be elevated from the practice squad for Monday. Running back Malik Davis, tight end Princeton Fant, and cornerback Zion Childress will all dress in Week 9. Of the three, Childress has the most realistic chance of logging significant snaps. The Dallas secondary has struggled with durability all season, and find themselves thin at safety. Childress has proven capable of playing multiple positions, and could be called on during the game against Arizona to step in at safety, or in the slot. — Sign up for the Cowboys Daily Digest newsletter for more free coverage from Dallas Cowboys on SI— 3 bold predictions for Dallas Cowboys-Cardinals on Monday Night Football Cowboys' final Week 9 injury report lists 6 players out, including 3 starters on D 3 keys to victory for Dallas Cowboys in pivotal Week 9 matchup vs. Cardinals NFL insider names Cowboys' potential trade deadline targets to bolster defense Cowboys-Cardinals MNF game gets streaming lifeline amid ESPN-YouTube TV dispute Meet Camille Sturdivant: Star of Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader Netflix docuseries
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