The Dallas Mavericks will be kicking off the 2026-2027 regular season in less than a month. There are many new faces on the team and oddly enough, Dereck Lively may feel like one of them after missing the final 75 games of last season. Lively has been taking his time to ensure his body is right upon his return, but that doesn’t mean he’s been loafing around. In fact, Lively looks to have bulked up in all the right ways and has been engaged with the team as both a Summer League observer and participant
in offseason workouts with his teammates.
Lively is at an interesting crossroads as he enters the final season of his rookie contract. At the end of the season he will be a restricted free agent and it remains to be seen how Dallas will handle his situation – will they sign him to an extension before season’s end, or will they see how things play out knowing they can simply match any competitive offers next summer? Time will tell, but assuming the front office has a good bead on his recovery, they may be wise to lock Lively up on a team-friendly deal sooner than later.
The big question
The big question for Lively is health. The first part of that question is when he will return to the lineup and the next part is whether or not he will be the same Lively he was when he was at his best as a promising up-and-coming center. Foot injuries can be a nightmare, and it seems Lively wasn’t helped by coming back when he did last time. On the other hand, Lively is being afforded, and taking, all the time necessary to truly get right. All the while, he supposedly grew an inch or more and certainly put on muscle. With youth on his side, there is reason to be optimistic for a return to form.
Best case scenario
The best case scenario for Lively is that whenever he returns, he remains healthy. He has the skills and will surely work the rust off in due time, but staying on the floor is the absolute key. That will speak volumes toward whether or not he will in fact be the Mavericks’ center of the future alongside Flagg and the young core the Mavs are building.
If Lively stays healthy, the best case scenario is already settled. From there, if Lively can put forth the level of production he did in the early part of his career, the Mavs probably can’t ask for much more in 2026-2027.
Worst case scenario
The worst case scenario is the exact opposite. If Lively returns before he is fully healed, aggravates his injury, or suffers a new unrelated injury, it could be a catastrophe. A small ding or dent or a few missed games here or there are relatively inconsequential, but if Lively misses significant time, it will certainly bring into question whether or not the Mavs stick with him long-term. Short term could be equally damaging. The team is simply better with him on the floor. Having both him and Kyrie Irving back on the floor would be a big boost for Dallas.
Season Goal
Don’t rush it. It’s frustrating Lively is not on the floor and has missed so much time, so one can only imaging how frustrating it must be for him. Nonetheless, it’s important that he only returns when he is actually capable of being himself again. That doesn’t sound like the most ambitious goal, but at 22 years old and in a contract year, he has to get right for both his own and the team’s long-term benefit. Lively fits the Cooper Flagg timeline and is likely to only get better as he nears his prime. If he can stay healthy, he could be the center of the future. If he doesn’t, the Mavs’ rebuild may experience an unnecessary setback.
Overall
It wasn’t long ago that the fanbase was waiting for Lively to unveil his three-point shot. Fresh off a run to the NBA Finals, Lively was poised to be a long-tenured Maverick. Then, a myriad of changes took place and a prolonged injury set in. Lively is a great fit and looks to be a perfect match for the type of player Masai Ujiri and Mike Schmitz covet. With a corrective surgery in the books and a measured approach to his recovery, it stands to reason that he will be able to put his recent injuries to bed. Lively could be a key piece to the puzzle and thinking of a frontcourt of Lively, Morez Johnson, Santi Aldama and even Daniel Gafford (should he stick around) is exciting. It’s a relatively young, athletic and versatile stable of players that could help get Dallas back to relevancy sooner than later.
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