NBA insider Marc Stein reported on Tuesday that Dereck Lively II, the Dallas Mavericks Center, reportedly had surgery for a right foot injury during the 2024-25 season. After the operation, his foot was placed on his boots and the 21-year-old is expected to be healthy in the camp.
Dereck Lively II injured with Anthony Davis’ Kyrie Irving
Lively was selected as 12th by the Mavericks in the 2023 NBA Draft. The 7-foot-1 big man is ranked sixth in the Rookie of the Year vote in 55 games (42 games) of the 2023-24 campaign.
Last season, the vivid average scored 8.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.6 blocks and 23.1 minutes, while shooting 70.2% from the field and 63% from the foul line.
He won eight doubles in a 117-111 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on January 9 and scored a season-high 21 points in Dallas’ 117-111 home win.
Lively joins an increasing list of major players who have been injured by the Mavericks. All-star point guard Kyrie Irving is recovering from the torn ACL, which will keep him marginal until at least January 2026, while superstar forward Anthony Davis has had an eye surgery this summer.
In April, Stein and Jake Fischer reported that Lively’s injury “caused some major tensions within the organization as league sources said, including a significant explosion between player health and performance between Johann Bilsborough and athletic performance director Keith Belton.”
Mavericks may allow Lively to try three-pointers next season
In an introductory press conference for first-place Cooper Flagg, minority owner Mark Cuban hints at a strategic change involving Lively, who could move to five central roles in the modern era. Cuba’s plan includes two to three three-pointers per game.
“Mark Cuban just talked about 2-3 3 points per game for Dereck Lively II next season and allowed Dallas to score five points.”
According to basketball reference, Lively tried only two 3-pointers in the regular season during his two-year career. His only profound shot was played in Game 4 of the 2024 NBA Finals.
Lively demonstrated his long-range shooting potential in pre-game warm-ups. His shot from Boston Celtics beyond the arc may be a fluke.
But no one will be sure until the Cuba vision becomes something real. Either way, he won’t be able to stay healthy next season, which may not matter. If he wants to reach his full potential, it is a must.
