After a dreadful 5-15 start to the season, the Dallas Mavericks look like they are finally turning things around. Thanks to a rookie explosion from Cooper Flagg, paired with Anthony Davis returning to the court, the team seems to have found a new lease on the season, as they continue to slowly climb up the rankings in the Western Conference.
It has been a perplexing turn for what looked like one of the worst teams in the league, regardless of conference. But what has made it even more impressive is that they’ve done it without one of the better players on the roster taking the court at all in Dereck Lively II. Here’s everything you need to know about the third-year star’s injury.
What Is Dereck Lively II’s Injury?
After a one-year career at Duke that included spots on the ACC All-Freshman and ACC All-Defensive teams, Lively made his way over to the pros as a member of the 2023 NBA Draft class. Initially selected by the Oklahoma City Thunder with the 12th overall pick, he was traded to the Mavericks.
With Luka Dončić at the helm, his combination of elite rim protection and ability to roll to the basket made him an ideal threat for the offensive genius. As a result, their pair found instant success, including outplaying Victor Wembanyama in both players’ NBA debuts.
Sitting behind Daniel Gafford in the depth chart, he averaged 8.8 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.1 assists en route to earning a spot on the All-Rookie second team, while becoming a key cog for Dallas to help them reach the NBA Finals.
His second year, though, was marred by injuries, in what has become an unfortunate struggle for him in his professional career. While he retained his averages from the previous year, he only suited up in 36 games for the season.
That was because a stress fracture in his right ankle caused him to be ruled out for two to three months, before another setback forced him to undergo a season-ending procedure on his right foot.
This year, with a new-look roster around him, the hope had to be that Lively could continue his ascent alongside a veteran like Davis to guide him further. But injuries have once again rendered his season all but moot.
After playing in just seven games, he had to undergo another season-ending surgery, this time to deal with lingering discomfort in his right foot. A procedure in July to clean out bone spurs seemed to have done the trick for him.
However, with swelling and continuous discomfort, he eventually had to go under the needle once again to potentially find a permanent fix for his problem. Thanks to the timing of the surgery, the current estimate is that Lively could be back with the Mavericks in time for training camp of the 2026-27 NBA season.
