Dereck Lively II was the reason roughly 125 campers at Colleyville Heritage High School had smiles on their faces on Friday afternoon.
The third-year center, this week’s special guest for Mavs Academy Hoop Camp, signed autographs, posed for photos, answered questions and rebounded for the kids as they played knockout.
“I went from being on a scooter, two crutches to one crutch, to just a boot and now to be able to walk,” Lively said. “I am really just thankful for the small milestones. I’m able to move again, lift again and those things, it’s what I live on now. It’s those little wins is what I thrive on.”
The 22-year-old center was expected to be available to start the 2026-27 season, but Friday’s update signals Lively will need time before he’s medically cleared to play. The Mavericks will open training camp toward the end of September.
“I’m taking even more time than I need to make sure I never have to deal with this foot again,” Lively said. “So whenever I can get past that and get over this hill, I know I’ll be home stretch free.”
Lively began experiencing swelling and discomfort in his right foot after playing in just seven games of his third NBA season. He sought multiple opinions before it was determined he’d need surgery, ruling him out for the rest of the 2025-26 campaign and leaving the Mavericks wounded in the frontcourt and the role of starting center mostly on the broad shoulders of Daniel Gafford.
“I’m just waiting to see that my foot’s good,” he said. “Even when it’s good, I gotta wait even more to make sure I don’t have to do this again. I’m never going to rush back. I’m never going to worry about that. If I gotta take the things that the fans and the public gotta say about me, ‘I’m brittle. I’m all that.’
“Cool. When I come back, don’t forget who I am.”
When healthy, Lively is one of the most promising young centers in the NBA. He has career averages of 8.4 points and 7.0 rebounds with 1.5 blocks on 72.5% shooting from the field. He’s a rim deterrent and lob threat, which bodes well in a starting lineup headlined by Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving.
Lively said he’s leaned on one of his mentors during the recovery process: former Mavericks center Tyson Chandler, who has served as a player development coach with the franchise since 2021.
“I’ve definitely called him a lot,” Lively said. “Going through this, being a part of the change in scenery with everything going on with the Mavericks, he helps keep me centered so I can worry about things I need to worry about. That’s things I can control.”
He mentioned changing his diet, lifting more and gaining flexibility, as well as swimming and walking up to 15,000 steps a day “to stay in shape and keep my body physically ready.”