The Dallas Mavericks seem to be inching ever closer to a full-blown rebuild. After starting the season 8-16, they are near the bottom of the Western Conference and have already fired general manager Nico Harrison. Rumors of a potential Anthony Davis trade are also making the rounds seemingly every week.
As a result, the organization needs to determine which pieces can remain with the franchise moving forward, while others become vital trade candidates. On that note, third-year center Dereck Lively II remains an interesting piece of the puzzle.
Mavericks Have to Wait Longer for Dereck Lively II
Drafted in the 2023 NBA Draft, Lively played a significant role for the Mavericks almost immediately. Becoming a major factor as a rim-running shot blocker, his pairing with Luka Dončić was critical for the team to make a run to the NBA Finals.
Averaging 8.8 points and 6.9 rebounds as a rookie, he also added 1.4 blocks in less than 24 minutes of action per game. His sophomore season, unfortunately, did not see a major bump in production, as his numbers remained nearly identical.
However, it did bring to light a major worry. After playing in 55 games in his first season, Lively was able to manage just 36 games in 2024-25 thanks to a stress fracture in his right foot.
This year, too, he’s been able to suit up in just seven games, averaging career lows across the board. Nearly two weeks ago, though, things took a turn for the worse when Tim MacMahon of ESPN confirmed that the youngster would be out for three games after swelling and discomfort in his surgically repaired right foot.
At the time, the Mavericks confirmed that an update would come in due time. Thanks to head coach Jason Kidd, we now have the latest on the talented young star. Unfortunately, it isn’t a pleasant scenario for the Dallas fan base.
As beat writer Mike Curtis confirmed on X, “For a 21-year-old, it’s tough. He wants to play. Unfortunately, he can’t play right now. Hopefully, as he goes through this process of finding other opinions of what he should do, it brings resolve & he can get back to playing because we miss him, but he misses playing.”
As the team and Lively continue to consider multiple opinions, there remains uncertainty about his situation. “Hopefully, there is some conclusion to this & he’s back on the floor for us because we do miss him.”
After cleaning out bone spurs in his foot over the offseason, it seemed like the Mavericks could get a key part of their rotation back into the mix. However, if his injury history continues to be a problem, then he could join the list of players that the team might want to move on from.