DALLAS — Dereck Lively II has not played since Nov. 21, 2025, and the Dallas Mavericks are still waiting for their center to complete his recovery from right foot surgery.
General manager Mike Schmitz did not put a timeline on Lively’s return during a Friday appearance on 105.3 The Fan’s “G-Bag Nation.” With training camp getting closer, Schmitz said Lively remains a regular presence at the Mavericks’ facility and continues working toward getting back to 100 percent.
Lively appeared in 7 games last season and started 4. Dallas announced Dec. 10 that he would undergo season-ending surgery on his right foot. At the time, the Mavericks said he was expected to make a full recovery and be available for the start of training camp.
Dr. James Calder performed the procedure at the Fortius Clinic in London. It was the third operation on Lively’s right foot inside a calendar year.
Mike Schmitz Updates Dereck Lively II’s Recovery
Schmitz has seen Lively around the facility throughout the offseason. He pointed to the 22-year-old’s approach, communication, and work during the recovery process.
“D-Live has been working his tail off. He’s in the facility constantly, completely locked into everything we’re doing and doing everything in his power to be his best self,” Schmitz said. “Really, really proud of just the approach he’s taken and his mentality, his voice. He’s young, but he’s got a presence to him. Just having him in our facility every day and working his tail off to get to 100 percent is something that we feel every day.”
“He’s doing everything in his power, and we’re just really proud of the progress he’s made and continuing to chip away at everything as we get closer to the start of camp,” Schmitz continued.
The Mavericks provided another update June 26, saying Lively was walking and lifting weights but had not progressed to running. Speaking later that month, Lively described moving from a scooter to two crutches, then one crutch, a boot, and eventually walking on his own. On Aug. 8, he served as the featured coach at a free four-hour hoop camp he hosted at Beckley-Saner Recreation Center in Oak Cliff.
His problems with the foot stretch back to January 2025. Dallas initially announced a sprained right ankle before further testing revealed a stress fracture. Lively missed roughly two and a half months and finished the 2024-25 regular season with 36 appearances.
Another procedure followed that July to remove bone spurs from the same foot. Lively then missed nine games early last season with a sprained right knee before the foot ended his season in December.
There is no hard rule inside the Mavericks’ front office for players carrying an injury history, according to Schmitz. He said Dallas handles each case on its own and that supporting players through an 82-game season is part of the organization’s responsibility.
Dereck Lively II Has Missed Significant Time
Lively’s first three seasons have all included extended absences. He has played in 98 of a possible 246 regular-season games since Dallas drafted him in 2023. For his career, Lively is averaging 8.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game. He has shot 72.5% from the field.
His rookie season lasted 55 games. Lively averaged 8.8 points and 6.9 rebounds and finished sixth in Rookie of the Year voting. As a rookie, Lively also appeared in 21 playoff games during Dallas’ run to the 2024 NBA Finals. He averaged 7.9 points and 7.4 rebounds.
He played 36 games the following season, averaging 8.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.4 assists. Last season, Lively got into 7 games before the foot injury ended his year. He averaged 4.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.9 assists in 16.4 minutes.
Dallas Mavericks Have Frontcourt Options Behind Dereck Lively II
Daniel Gafford started 44 of the 55 games he played last season.
Dallas also used the No. 9 pick in June on Morez Johnson Jr. Johnson averaged 13.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.2 assists at Michigan last season while playing for Dusty May, who became the Mavericks’ head coach a day before the draft.
Johnson earned second-team All-Big Ten and Big Ten All-Defensive Team honors during Michigan’s national championship season.
Dereck Lively II Enters Contract Year
Lively is entering the fourth and final season of his rookie contract. His salary for 2026-27 is $5,253,360 after Dallas exercised its team option last October.
Marc Stein of The Stein Line reported July 27 that the Mavericks and Lively had opened early-stage talks on a rookie-scale extension.
The two sides have until the day before the regular season begins to complete an extension. Without one, Lively is on track for restricted free agency next summer.
Dallas’ preseason starts Oct. 9 against the Houston Rockets at The Venetian Arena in Macao as part of the NBA China Games. The game tips off at 7 a.m. CT.
The Mavericks return to Houston for the regular-season opener on Oct. 21, with tip-off set for 7:30 p.m. CT. Dallas plays its first home game three nights later against the San Antonio Spurs at American Airlines Center.
