Dallas Mavericks center Dereck Lively II is progressing in his injury recovery — but probably not at the rate most fans would hope for.
Lively missed the final 65 games of the Mavericks’ 2025-26 season and only played in seven games total due to a lingering foot injury. He underwent season-ending surgery in December that ruled him out for the rest of the campaign.
The 22-year-old center has reportedly shed the walking boot that he’s worn for most of the year. But according to The Athletic’s Christian Clark, Lively “still hasn’t progressed” to workouts that involve running.
“I’m taking my time,” Lively told Clark. “I’m taking even more time than I need to make sure I don’t ever have to deal with this foot again. So whenever I can get past that, get over this hill, I know I’ll be stress-free.”
The hope for Mavericks fans is that the team and Lively himself have taken an ultra-conservative approach, given Dallas’ full-on rebuild initiated last season. However, the concern regarding Lively’s availability going forward is only growing.
Lively played only 43 games combined over the last two seasons. He suffered a stress fracture in his right ankle in January 2025 that limited him to just 36 games during his sophomore campaign — one of several injuries that doomed Nico Harrison’s failed post-Luka Doncic experiment.
Lively is arguably the Mavericks’ only other foundational piece heading into next season aside from Cooper Flagg. With Dallas not owning its 2027 first-round pick, having Lively on the floor next season will be crucial in an ever-competitive Western Conference.
