Dereck Lively II has developed into a fan favorite. His energy helps anchor the Mavericks defense and he provides a lob threat for easy dunks. Many liken him to beloved center Tyson Chandler from the 2011 championship team. There’s no question the Mavericks are better with him on the floor, but there’s one problem: he can’t stay on the floor.
Lively was drafted 12th overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder and traded to the Mavericks for the rights to the 10th pick in Cason Wallace and Davis Bertans.
The lack of a true center for years had Mavs fans hungry for a rim-running athletic big. They got him in the 7’1 center from Duke. The city of Dallas embraced him immediately as he became the starting center on opening night in his first season. Lively posted a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds during his NBA debut against touted first overall pick Victor Wembanyama. He was a team high +20 in the Mavericks 126-119 win over the San Antonio Spurs.
Lively’s impact became the new norm for the Mavericks and Luka Doncic finally found his lob threat. Lively was a key piece in Dallas’s run to the NBA Finals in 2024. He was especially a problem for the Thunder in the Conference Semifinals with their lack of size and provided a serious threat on defense for the Timberwolves’ bigs in the Conference Finals. There’s no doubt he makes a substantial difference when he’s on the court, but his injuries are beginning to add up. Which begs the question – should Dallas consider pulling the plug?
The Case Against Him
Lively’s growing injury history is starting to significantly impact Dallas’s quest to stay competitive in the brutal Western Conference. His history of extended absences are concerning.
- 11/24/23: Missed 3 weeks (back)
- 12/16/23: Missed 2 weeks (ankle)
- 1/30/23: Missed 4 weeks (broken nose)
- 11/5/24: Missed 3 weeks (shoulder)
- 12/2/24: Missed 3 weeks (hip)
- 1/14/25: Missed 12 weeks (ankle)
- 10/27/25: TBD (knee)
To this point, Lively has missed over 31 weeks of action in two full seasons and change. In his first season he played 55 out of 82 total games for Dallas and only 36 out of 82 games in the 2024-2025 campaign. This season, he’s played 3 out of 12 games.
The NBA is no stranger to long, athletic centers being injured. Dallas had their own struggles with Kristaps Porzingis during his tenure in a Mavs uniform. If history repeats itself as most say, the tendency would be for this to be the norm for the Mavericks. Players who get injured early and often in their careers tend to be more injury prone as they age. The center position, especially, is injury prone as you undergo a lot of wear and tear from all the clanging and banging around inside from other 7-foot monsters. That’s the biggest reason why Anthony Davis prefers to play the four. Given his rocky start to stay healthy, history is not on Lively’s side.
The Mavericks are also operating on two different timelines, which makes the situation even more complicated. When Nico Harrison made the surprising move to trade superstar Luka Doncic to the Lakers and received All-NBA center Anthony Davis, the middle got crowded. Since implementing Davis into the lineup with Lively, the inside looks jammed. The sample size is still small, but the double-big lineups seem to put Lively at a disadvantage as his threat at the rim becomes largely suppressed. The Mavericks went all-in on bringing in Davis to pair with Irving in an attempt to “win now” according to Nico Harrison. Since Harrison’s dismissal as GM, the idea of winning now may be out the window. It’s still too early to tell.
If Dallas re-establishes going all-in now, they could test Lively’s value on the trade market for another guard. In the absence of Kyrie Irving, Dallas’s offense looks horrendous. The lack of creator depth is already rearing its ugly head 12 games into the season. Brandon Williams has been an emerging bright spot for Dallas, but would his contributions be enough even with a healthy Kyrie Irving? There’s no way to tell.
If Lively can’t stay on the floor consistently, the Mavs front office could be making phone calls by the trade deadline. The market for Lively will largely depend on his health up until that point and where other teams sit with their coveted guards. Does Chicago listen to offers for Coby White? Does Charlotte pick up the phone for Collin Sexton? Does Portland put Scoot Henderson on the chopping block? There are, of course additional factors that come into play if Dallas would trade Lively, but these are some of the options. If he can’t be available, it’s hard to justify keeping him.
The Case for Him
The other side of the coin is that Lively is still only 21. It was clear the Mavericks looked at Lively as the center of the future when they drafted him at just 19. To many, pulling the plug now would feel too early, especially given the results of his presence on the court.
Now that the Mavericks have dismissed former GM Nico Harrison, this could potentially make moving Anthony Davis a much more viable option, given his age and injury history. When the constant of both not being available becomes the common denominator, it makes more sense to keep Lively.
Lively’s career averages of 8.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks may not jump off the page, but his impact on winning has already been proven. In his rookie season during the 2024 playoffs, the Mavericks were +15.3 with him on the court, vs -4.9 with him off. In the 2024-2025 season, they were +22.5 with him on the court vs -5.5 off. In a limited sample size this season, the Mavs are +15 with him on the court. During the 2024 playoff run, opponents shot 42.9% at the rim when guarded by Lively. Additionally, opponents took a far lower percentage of total shots at the rim (74th percentile), which is a testament to his effect on the defensive end of the floor.
He impacts winning. He has a defensive mindset. He makes plays and creates matchup problems for many teams across the league. Dallas is far better with him on the court. His fit felt seamless from the beginning, being mentored by Tyson Chandler and learning from veterans like Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, and Anthony Davis. He’s a sponge for learning and has shown small developments in his game that give small flashes into what he could be. But it’s all smoke in mirrors until he proves he can stay healthy.
The Fork in the Road
The Mavericks have some important decisions to make in the next year and one of them will be deciding the path of where to go with Lively. He impacts winning and the Mavericks are markedly better with him on the court. The main question in the coming months will be Lively’s availability. If he proves he can stay healthy, there’s no reason to trade him. If he can’t stay healthy, the phones may start ringing in Dallas.
