The Dallas Mavericks feel fortunate that Kyrie Irving wasn't injured worse on Friday. Irving suffered a right heel contusion when Dwight Powell fell into his leg during the Mavericks win on Friday over the Portland Trail Blazers.

Dallas feared the worst, but an MRI showed a bruise in Irving's right heel. It's unknown how much time the All-Star guard will miss, but the Mavs are left feeling lucky it won't be as long as it originally looked like.

Irving has averaged 23 points, 5.2 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game. The 12-year veteran has shooting splits of 47/38/90 on the young season.

Kyrie Irving injured his right leg in the second quarter of the Dallas Mavericks' win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night.

Irving, who suffered the injury when Dwight Powell landed on the leg, is expected to undergo an MRI.

The Mavs play the Grizzlies on Monday. 

Marc Cuban informed Adam Silver about a potential deal with the Las Vegas Sands Corporation last year, sources told Marc Stein of Substack.

The sale of Cuban's majority stake in the Mavs to the Sands Corporation is expected to be approved before Christmas.

Cuban reportedly spoke to Mavs players about the impending sale last Tuesday, informing them that nothing will change in terms of how the team is run.

Cuban is expected to control the Mavs' basketball operations "forevermore." 

Luka Doncic will make his return to the Dallas Mavericks lineup on Saturday against the Oklahoma City Thunder, sources told Marc Stein of Substack.

Doncic missed Friday's game due to the birth of his daughter.

Luka Doncic will miss Friday's home game against the Memphis Grizzlies due to personal reasons. Doncic and his fiancée, Anamaria Goltes, announced the birth of their daughter later on Friday.

This will be the first game missed this season for Doncic.

Doncic is averaging 31.1 points, 8.0 rebounds and 7.9 assists per game for the 11-6 Mavericks.

Despite agreeing to sell a majority stake in the Dallas Mavericks to the Adelson family, Mark Cuban reportedly has no plans to exit the basketball side of the business in what is an unprecedented ownership maneuver.

"I don't know exactly what the language is in the purchase agreement, but one thing I have been told, and the exact word I heard is Cuban will have basketball operations for quote forevermore," said ESPN's Tim MacMahon on the Brian Windhorst podcast.

"I assume that is agreed to in writing."

Cuban, 65, has increasingly shifted his attention away from the business side of the Mavericks in recent years while remaining involved in basketball operations. However, Cuban has even taken a lesser role in basketball operations since hiring Nico Harrison to replace Donnie Nelson.

For the Adelsons, they appear to be more focused on their aspirations of building an arena and hotel in downtown Dallas while lobbying to change Texas state laws to permit gambling. 

MacMahon also suggested that the decline of regional sports networks and how that will impact the revenue of sports teams played a role in Cuban's timing to sell a majority stake.

Mark Cuban reiterated on Wednesday he has "no plans" to run for president in 2024. Speculation on Cuban's future has ramped up following his agreement to sell a majority stake int he Dallas Mavericks to the Adelson family, as well as his announcement he will leave Shark Tank.

Cuban has long been linked with a White House run as he floated an independent run in 2020. 

In an email to NBC News in July, Cuban said “my family would disown me” if he ran for president.

Mark Cuban has agreed to sell a majority stake in the Dallas Mavericks to the Adelson family while he is expected to retain control on basketball operations and serve as governor. 

Marc Stein reports that Cuban "has certainly granted more front-office autonomy to general manager Nico Harrison (hired in June 2021) than many initially expected and has likewise relished that Mavericks CEO Cynthia Marshall has run the business side since her arrival in February 2018." The Mavericks hired Marshall following an in-depth report from Sports Illustrated detailing the "corrosive workplace culture" of the franchise.

Cuban continues to take a very active role on the basketball side of the Mavericks and "his focus in recent years has been placed almost exclusively on the basketball side."

"League sources say he is determined to operate as a very active partner to the Adelsons on the basketball front while happily letting them focus on the pursuit of TV money, real-estate plays for the franchise, their continued efforts to lobby Texas lawmakers to legalize gambling, etc.," writes Stein.

Mark Cuban has agreed to sell a majority stake of the Dallas Mavericks to Mirian Adelson for a valuation in the range of $3.5 billion, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic. The initial reporting on the Adelson family's purchase was by Marc Stein.

Cuban will retain shares in the Mavericks and also full control of basketball operations while also remaining governor. Cuban purchased the Mavericks in 2000 for $285 million.

The Adelson family is selling almost $2 billion in stock in the Las Vegas Sands Corp., "to fund the purchase of a majority interest in a professional sports franchise pursuant to a binding purchase agreement, subject to customary league approvals," according to an SEC filing.

The Sands group, led by Adelson and her son-in-law and company president, Patrick Dumont, has previously had discussions with Cuban about building a casino entertainment district in Dallas that would include a new arena for the Mavericks. 

An MRI showed that Luka Doncic has a "low grade" thumb sprain, according to Jason Kidd.

Doncic suffered the injury on Saturday against the Clippers.

Doncic is cleared to play on Tuesday night against the Rockets. Doncic participated in practice with a wrap over his thumb.