The Miami Heat are somehow already sitting at a dismal 0-3 to kick off the 2026-27 season, even after blowing up their young core and snagging Giannis Antetokounmpo in an offseason trade that everyone thought was going to make them instant contenders. Yeah, it’s rough, and now the Dallas Mavericks roll into the Kaseya Center on Monday, looking to lock the new-look Heat in the freezer even deeper. Tipoff is at 6:30 p.m. and believe me, it’s appointment television.
Mavs Are Getting Healthy At The Right Time
Dallas is rolling with the NBA’s fifth-youngest roster, guided by the sage ball guru Kyrie Irving. And the good news? Irving is officially off the injury report as of Sunday night, meaning his “injury management” sit-out for Saturday’s 122-106 loss to the San Antonio Spurs is over. Remember that torn ACL back in March 2025? His recovery was already extended by six months last season after the calendar flipped, so hopefully, after 18 months, he’s *all* the way back now.
Even better, Cooper Flagg, who got sidelined after taking a scary hit from The Coward Nesmith of the Pacers on Friday, has been upgraded to questionable for Monday’s game. Flagg injured his shoulder when Aaron Nesmith fouled him hard on the way to the rack in transition right before halftime of the Mavs’ 121-105 upset win over Indiana. It looked bad, but apparently, the injury is a relatively harmless one. Bullet dodged! If he doesn’t suit up Monday, we can probably expect him back when Dallas hosts the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday. The Mavs are young, hungry, and getting their key guys back just in time to face a struggling Heat squad.
Miami’s Mega Moves Are Floundering
The Heat went all-in this summer, trying to make quote-unquote “win now” moves. They brought in Giannis Antetokounmpo and Klay Thompson in free agency, adding to their roster which already includes former Mavs sharpshooter Tim Hardaway Jr. So, yeah, if it sounds like Miami is the NBA’s geriatric unit, that might just be why. They blew up their young core to get Antetokounmpo, who is making more than $58 million this year, eating up just north of 29% of their available salary under the cap. That monster contract definitely limited who else they could bring in.
But those big, splashy offseason moves have not, shall we say, yielded any actual wins so far. They’ve lost three straight to open the season, and now they face a Mavericks team that’s getting healthy and looking to take another step toward growth. Can Dallas turn heads and send Miami even further into the basement? We’ll find out Monday night.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Mavs Moneyball.
Leave a Reply