The Mavericks have faced one setback after another. They have been dropping four straight games, the last one against the Grizzlies. Not only that, they are currently standing at 15th in the Western Conference. This is a tough spot for a team already stretched thin by injuries and roster depth issues.

Just when it seemed things couldn’t get any worse, their injury list has been updated hours before their tip-off against the Washington Wizards. After Anthony Davis was ruled out for injury management, Klay Thompson debuts on the injury list.

Why isn’t Klay Thompson playing tonight vs. Wizards?

ESPN’s Tim MacMahon reported on X that guard Klay Thompson, was suddenly ruled out. “Mavs SG Klay Thompson will miss tonight’s game due to illness. He was just added to the injury report,” the insider wrote, adding another blow to a team already lacking stability.

Thompson, who has been averaging with 7.6 points per game, was still a stable presence in the Mavs roster. His sudden absence has already started to raise alarming questions from within the community.

Top Stories

Kyrie Irving Breaks Silence After Injury Return Update Emerges

Prayers Pour In For Napheesa Collier After Unfortunate Health Announcement

Is Austin Reaves Dating YouTuber SteveWillDoIt’s Ex-Girlfriend? Fact Checking Viral Claim

What Is Jake LaRavia’s Ethnicity, Nationality, and Religion? All About the NBA Star’s Background and Family Roots

Michael Jordan Could Have Repaired Scottie Pippen Relationship if He Wanted To: Former Teammate

The 2025-26 season is his second season with the Dallas Mavericks, but Klay Thompson has only hit a career low on the court. In the nine games that he appeared in this season, he logged roughly 20 minutes per contest. That is far below the expectations set when Dallas brought him in.

To draw a sharper contrast, in the 2024-25 season, Thompson played 72 games, averaging 27.3 minutes per game. Meanwhile, contributing 14.0 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.0 assists. His shooting splits that year included 41.2% from the field and 39.1% from three-point range.

The drop in playing time and efficiency underscores how his role has diminished in the team; his presence is almost invisible. This essentially cancels out the sole purpose of the trade that brought him into the Mavs. If we remember well, it was to win championships, right? However, even his future now seems uncertain.

Klay Thompson Trade Rumors

It is right in front of us. The Dallas Mavericks face a dismal start to the 2025-26 season. And this has led to escalation of trade chatter around Klay Thompson. But things had started differently.

The four-time champion arrived in Dallas via a sign-and-trade from the Golden State Warriors in the summer of 2024. He was eager for a fresh chapter and the chance to compete for his fifth NBA title alongside Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving.

That vision unraveled in 2025. Luka has moved on with the Los Angeles Lakers, and Irving is still rehabbing from ACL surgery. The Mavericks? They are buried near the bottom of the Western Conference standings. For Thompson, who was once a confident sharpshooter in the court, this has been the most turbulent stretch of his 13-year career.

According to ClutchPoints, Dallas has not ruled out a potential trade for Thompson. The organization is undergoing a reassessment process, as its plans and strategic moves appear to be failing.

Sources indicate the Mavericks are exploring avenues to build around their potential trio of Cooper Flagg, Anthony Davis, and Kyrie Irving. Thompson is no longer seen as central to that timeline. His uneven play and recent benching have only fueled speculation.

However, a move involving Thompson would be a complex undertaking. He has his reputation as a future Hall of Famer, and it still carries weight.

If he can improve his declining numbers, it will make a one-for-one swap more difficult. Dallas would surely like to pursue a deal to acquire younger, rotational pieces.

Yet, Thompson’s playoff pedigree holds value. This is a team that was in championship contention in the 2023-24 season. Even Klay Thompson would not have speculated a turnaround of this scale.

Meanwhile, another name has been circled out in league discussion, and yes, it is Daniel Gafford. He is currently listed as questionable on the team’s injury list. Though Gafford was instrumental during Dallas’ 2024 Finals run, the dynamic has now shifted.

Reports from ClutchPoints insider Brett Siegel note that multiple teams, including the Los Angeles Lakers, are monitoring Gafford, including his play.

To be fair, Dallas’ trade decisions so far have not really lived up to the promises. Starting from the Luka trade under Nico, the outcome has been devastatingly underwhelming.

So they need to navigate through this cautiously, unless they want another stadium full of loud “Fire Nico!” chants.

Whether it is Thompson or Gafford, what’s clear is: as the losses pile up, the Mavs are inching closer to major roster decisions before February’s trade deadline.