Dallas — The Dallas Mavericks announced Wednesday that center Dereck Lively II will have season-ending surgery on his right foot, ending his 2025-26 campaign after just seven appearances.
The club said the 7-footer is expected to make a full recovery and be ready for the start of next season’s training camp.
Lively, 21, helped Dallas reach the 2024 NBA Finals as a rookie but has struggled with injuries throughout his career. He has played in 98 of 185 possible regular-season games, averaging 8.8 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks.
The upcoming procedure follows a July operation to remove bone spurs from the same foot. Last season he missed two and a half months with a stress fracture in his right ankle, an injury initially diagnosed as a sprain.
Earlier this year, Lively sat out nine games with a sprained right knee and returned on Nov. 14 under an 18-minute restriction for four contests. He missed the Nov. 22 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies for right knee injury management and was listed with right foot injury management before Monday’s defeat at Miami.
On Tuesday, the Mavericks said the center was experiencing swelling and discomfort in his surgically repaired foot, prompting further evaluation and the decision to proceed with surgery.
Source: ESPN
