The Dallas Mavericks were hit with tough news on Tuesday as the team announced a major change to Dereck Lively II’s status. The update comes at a critical point in the season as Dallas continues to navigate injuries across the roster.
Lively will undergo surgery on his right foot, a procedure that will sideline him for the remainder of the year. The Mavericks noted that he is expected to make a full recovery and be ready for the start of training camp. Still, the loss is significant for a young center who had quickly become a key piece of their interior defense and long-term plans.
Injuries have been a career-long struggle for Lively, who went from 55 games in his rookie season down to just seven games in the 2025-26 campaign. With career averages of 8.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.6 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game on 72.5 percent shooting, his presence will be missed.
With Lively now unavailable, Dallas will have to rely more heavily on its remaining frontcourt depth while adjusting both its rotation and long-term outlook. It puts more pressure on guys like Anthony Davis, P.J. Washington, and Dwight Powell to step up and provide interior support around Cooper Flagg. The timing of the setback adds another layer to the challenges the Mavericks must manage as they attempt to stabilize their season and stay competitive in a strong Western Conference.
At 9-16, things are quickly getting out of hand in Dallas, and every loss threatens to destabilize an already volatile situation. On the injury front, Lively is just the latest in a long list of setbacks. He joins Kyrie Irving and Daniel Gafford on the sidelines, with Anthony Davis frequently in and out of action. It adds up to a stunning lack of consistency, which explains their ongoing struggles on the court.
If their current trajectory continues, the Mavericks will likely be among the biggest sellers at this season’s trade deadline as they look to move on from the past and pivot around their new leading star, Flagg. Now, just months after trading Luka Doncic, it is reportedly open season for the Mavericks’ veteran core, including Anthony Davis, Klay Thompson, and anyone else who does not fit Cooper’s timeline.
At 21 years old, Dereck Lively II is one of the few players viewed as a potential long-term fit for the Mavericks, and he has already shown flashes of being that defensive force on the interior. By opting for surgery, Lively may have given up this season, but he is positioning himself for a massive comeback in 2026.
Lively’s setback only sharpens the Mavericks’ focus on what comes next as they search for stability in a season defined by change. His return will eventually give Dallas another foundational piece, but until then, the team must find answers on the fly. How they respond to this stretch will shape not only the remainder of their year, but also the direction of their rebuild moving forward.
