Dereck Lively II begins the preseason on the sideline. The Dallas Mavericks center has not received medical clearance for training camp following a second right-foot surgery last December, per Tim MacMahon of ESPN.
Player: Dereck Lively II (C, Dallas Mavericks)
Injury: Right foot (bone spurs, December 2025 surgery)
Status: Not cleared for basketball activity
Return: To be determined — regular-season timeline uncertain
Source: Tim MacMahon, ESPN
How the foot issues piled up
An initial surgical procedure in July 2025 targeted bone spurs in Lively’s right foot. The fix didn’t hold. Persistent discomfort sent him back to the operating table in December, ending his season after just seven games. Over his first two NBA seasons, the 22-year-old center has suited up for only 43 games total — a stark number when you remember his 2023-24 rookie year: 55 games, genuine impact on both ends, and a run with Dallas to the NBA Finals.
The Mavericks aren’t hitting the panic button. General manager Mike Schmitz said Lively is “working his tail off,” and sources around the team describe his rehab trajectory as on track toward a clearance for basketball activity. No date for his return to competitive play has been announced.
An October 19 deadline looms
There’s a business dimension to this, too. Dallas has until October 19 to extend Lively’s rookie contract before he becomes a restricted free agent next summer. Negotiating a long-term deal without a clean medical picture is difficult — teams rarely commit nine-figure money to a player still in rehab limbo.
For now, the Mavericks open camp a center short. Extra reps fall to Maxi Kleber and training camp depth. Luka Dončić and the rest of the roster get to work; the man expected to anchor the frontcourt watches from the outside.
Sources: Tim MacMahon / ESPN; Bleacher Report.
