DALLAS — Dereck Lively II has progressed from shooting to running on the court, Mavericks president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri said Friday, and the Dallas Mavericks will stay patient with the center’s right foot. Ujiri spoke at media day at American Airlines Center, the day before training camp opens.
Lively had season-ending surgery on his right foot, which the team announced Dec. 10. He played seven games last season and averaged 4.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.9 assists. The surgery was his second on that foot, following a procedure in July 2025 to clean out bone spurs. Lively was not yet running when he spoke with reporters in June.
Lively is where the team hoped he would be entering camp, according to Ujiri, though he declined to go into details. The Mavericks will not rush a 7-footer coming back from a foot injury, he added.
“As we’re coming into training camp, I think Dereck has really gone through the process,” Ujiri said. “I think where he’s at now is where we were hoping he would be. I’m not really going to go into all the details … he’s made really good progress, whether it’s from shooting or the next process of running on the court. We’re really happy about that. We are going to be patient about this injury.”
“I said it from day one that that’s the approach we’re going to take is being patient with D-Live, because none of us here know what it’s like, one, to have an injury like that, two, to be seven foot one, two, and carry all of that on that foot,” Ujiri continued. “It takes patience, it takes expertise, and we’ve gotten that. It takes patience from his agency, from him. It takes watching him, his feeling. He’s been in here every day, has worked really hard, and we’re happy with where it is, but there will be patience till we get this right.”
Dereck Lively II On His Recovery
The 12th pick in the 2023 draft, Lively played a major role in Dallas’ run to the 2024 NBA Finals. He described this offseason as a matter of keeping his focus on what he can control and trusting the people around him.
“It’s been a lot of focus, a lot of days in the gym, a lot of hard days working,” Lively said. “It’s been ups and downs, trying to keep my focus on what I can control, not worry about things … out of my control. And just having trust in my team, having trust in the people around me, my doctors, and the people who support me.”
Lively has played 43 regular-season games over the last two seasons. He turns 23 in February.
Lively expressed gratitude that the team has let him take his time. His work so far has included treadmill running, jump practice, and getting shots up to keep confidence in his shot.
“I’m happy where I am,” Lively explained. “I’m very grateful to the team for just giving me the ability to just take my time, make sure I’m doing everything right, and making sure I’m taking care of my body. I’ve been running the treadmill, been practicing jumps, been slowly getting back on the court, getting my shots up, making sure I’m still confident in my shot. And just being part of the team, having everybody around the team, no matter if it’s the trainers, the medical staff, the team, the coaches. It’s been great just having everybody around, having the energy again.”
Basketball Reference lists Lively at 7-foot-1 and 230 pounds. He does not think he has grown, but his body has changed, with more muscle and less body fat from a routine that now includes the bike, the treadmill, and swimming.
“I feel taller than everybody. I feel like that hasn’t changed,” Lively said. “I know I’ve definitely put on some size. I’ve definitely put on a good amount of muscle. I feel like I’ve been trying to lose as much body fat as possible. Trying to stay in the right shape, no matter if that’s me on the bike, me running on the treadmill, me swimming. That’s definitely been a big change in my routine. So just doing whatever I can to make sure I keep my body ready and my mind ready.”
Lively acknowledged he has leaned on Kyrie Irving much more than Irving has leaned on him. Irving tore his ACL in March 2025 and spent last season on the bench, and his advice to Lively has been to take as long as the recovery requires and to listen to his body and the doctors.
“He’s told me that no matter how long it takes, just sit back, make sure you’re doing the right things,” Lively said. “Make sure you listen to your body, make sure you listen to the doctors, ’cause I don’t ever wanna be dealing with this again. So I’m making sure that I’m doing everything that I can to make sure I’m putting one foot in front of the other across the finish line.”
Dereck Lively II On Dwight Powell And The Frontcourt
Dallas signed Dwight Powell on Friday, bringing the training camp roster to 19 players. Daniel Gafford, Morez Johnson Jr., Powell, and Lively are among the players competing for minutes up front.
Lively called Powell one of his best friends and credited him with teaching him how to handle the league since his rookie year. Powell has been with the Mavericks since 2014.
“He’s been probably one of my best friends,” Lively said of Powell. “He taught me how to stay focused. He taught me about the way of the league, where to put your energy, where to put your focus, where not to. So he’s been a great help from year one to what, year four? … There’s times where I look at him for help, whether it’s on the floor or off the floor. So he’s definitely been a great addition. I’m happy he’s back and I missed him.”
Every time they talk, Gafford explained, he tells Lively it does not matter who starts, as long as both make an impact. He has shared the starting center spot with Lively since arriving at the 2024 trade deadline.
“Whenever I talk to D-Live, of course, I tell him every time, it doesn’t matter who starts, it doesn’t matter who comes off the bench, as long as we come in and make an impact on the game, that enhances our ability to win games,” Gafford said.
Everyone in the organization, from the 15th man on the roster to the first, is doing whatever it takes to win after the last two seasons, according to Lively. He is entering the final season of his rookie contract, and Dallas went 39-43 in 2024-25 and 26-56 last season.
“Everybody here wants to win,” Lively said. “From the 15th roster guy to the first roster guy to anywhere throughout the organization. Everybody’s doing whatever it takes to double down on winning because we’re sick of the last two years.”
The Mavericks play the Houston Rockets in Macao on Oct. 9 and Oct. 11. They open the regular season Oct. 21 at Houston, with tip-off at 7:30 p.m. CT.
