Dallas Mavericks center Dereck Lively II (2) looks for the ball during the game between the Mavericks and the Raptors at the American Airlines Center.
Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
The Dallas Mavericks are about to start their training camp on Saturday, but don't expect big man Dereck Lively II to be joining the team's practices early on.
The former Duke Blue Devils star big man still doesn't have the green light to see action on the court, as he continues to get back to his top form following a season-ending surgery in December.
“Sources: Mavs C Dereck Lively II (foot) has not been cleared for camp as he continues to recover from his December surgery. His status for the start of the season has yet to be determined. He has not suffered any setback and is slowly ramping up to begin basketball activity,” Tim MacMahon of ESPN wrote in a social media post on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday.
Lively is coming off a frustrating third season in the NBA, largely because of the issues in his right foot. He played in only seven games in the 2025-26 campaign and averaged 4.3 points and 5.3 rebounds before getting shut down for the remainder of the season due to a surgery to address his foot problem.
The Mavericks were never in serious contention for a spot in the NBA Playoffs, but there could be marked improvement for the team in the coming 2026-27 campaign, with a more experienced Cooper Flagg as Dallas' focal point. A healthy Lively will also be big plus for the Mavericks, who won just 26 games against 56 losses last season.
Meanwhile, Lively could also be signing an extension with the Mavericks soon. Heis four-year, $22.28 million rookie contract will expire at the end of the coming season, but he and Dallas have reportedly began contract talks in the summer.