Lively (knee) has been ruled out for Monday's game against the Rockets.
Lively will miss his fourth straight game due to a right knee sprain, with his next opportunity to return coming Wednesday against the Pelicans. With both him and Anthony Davis (calf) sidelined, Daniel Gafford is likely to remain in the starting lineup, while Dwight Powell could see increased opportunities.
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Mavericks' Dereck Lively: Remaining out vs. Detroit
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Lively (knee) has been ruled out for Saturday's game against the Pistons.
Lively will miss his third consecutive game due to a right knee sprain, and his next opportunity to play will come Monday against the Rockets. Dwight Powell is likely to see an uptick in playing time, especially if Daniel Gafford (ankle) is downgraded from questionable to out.
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Mavericks' Dereck Lively: Ruled out vs. Indiana
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Lively (knee) won't play in Wednesday's game against the Pacers, Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star reports.
Lively will miss his second consecutive contest due to a sprained right knee. His next opportunity to play will come Saturday against Detroit. Anthony Davis will likely shoulder the responsibilities at center Wednesday, with Naji Marshall being in line for more playing time at power forward.
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Mavericks' Dereck Lively: Not expected to play Wednesday
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Lively (knee) is listed as doubtful for Wednesday's game against the Pacers,
Lively is expected to miss his second consecutive contest due to a sprained right knee. If the big man is ultimately ruled out, his next opportunity to play will come Saturday against the Pistons.
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Mavericks' Dereck Lively: Won't play Monday
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Lively (knee) won't play Monday against the Thunder, Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal.com reports.
With Lively hitting the sidelines, Anthony Davis will likely slide over to center, which could allow D'Angelo Russell to finally move into the first unit. The Mavs play again Wednesday against the Pacers, and for now, Lively should be considered questionable for that one.
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Mavericks' Dereck Lively: Doubtful for Monday
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Lively (knee) is doubtful for Monday's game against the Thunder.
Monday's game is the second leg of a back-to-back set, and it sounds like Lively is going to be held out. His injury is being described as a left knee contusion, so it sounds relatively minor. With Daniel Gafford (ankle) considered doubtful, the Mavericks could slide Anthony Davis to center and utilize some smaller lineup combos.
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Mavericks' Dereck Lively: Fourth-year option picked up
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The Mavericks exercised the fourth-year team option on Lively's contract Monday.
No surprise here, as the move keeps Lively under team control until through 2026-27. The 2023 first-rounder is projected to play a key role down low for Dallas moving forward, and Lively could dominate the center minutes early on this season if Daniel Gafford can't get past his ankle sprain.
Lively finished with 10 points (5-6 FG, 0-1 3Pt), six rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks in 22 minutes during Saturday's preseason loss to the Hornets.
Lively turned in his best performance of the preseason, producing on both ends of the floor. With Daniel Gafford sidelined due to an ankle injury, Lively has an opportunity to establish himself as the primary center, a role the coaching staff would love to see him embrace. While he is unlikely to play what might be considered typical starter's minutes, Lively should still be a good source of boards and blocks, while also scoring efficiently.
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Mavericks' Dereck Lively: Cleared for training camp
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Lively (foot) has been cleared for training camp, Joey Mistreta reported Monday.
Lively underwent surgery July 15 to clean up bone spurs in his right foot, but there have been no reported restrictions ahead of camp. That being said, it wouldn't be surprising to see the Mavericks ease him back during the preseason. With Anthony Davis expected to start at power forward, Lively is the presumed starting center with Daniel Gafford right behind him.
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Mavericks' Dereck Lively: Undergoes foot surgery
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Lively underwent surgery Tuesday to clean up bone spurs in his right foot, ESPN's Shams Charania reports.
Charania reports that Lively is expected to be ready for training camp, though this is an unfortunate setback for him as it could mess up his offseason training regimen. Lively was limited to 36 regular-season games in 2024-25 in which he posted averages of 8.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.6 blocks in 23.1 minutes. With Anthony Davis likely to play some center and Daniel Gafford fresh off a contract extension, there is quite a logjam in Dallas' frontcourt.
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Mavericks' Dereck Lively: Off injury report for Wednesday
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Lively (ankle) isn't listed on the injury report for Wednesday's game against the Kings.
Lively sat out the club's regular-season finale due to the right ankle injury that caused him to miss 36 consecutive outings this season. However, the second-year big man is set to return to action during Wednesday's elimination game. Lively has appeared in four matchups since the extended absence, averaging 5.5 points and 4.8 rebounds while shooting 71.4 percent from the field in 16.0 minutes per contest.
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Mavericks' Dereck Lively: Out Sunday, as expected
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Lively (ankle) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Grizzlies.
As expected, Lively has been downgraded from doubtful to out and will miss the regular-season finale. He has appeared in three straight and four of Dallas' last five games since returning from a two-month-plus absence. However, despite dropping a double-double Friday, Lively has yet to play more than 18 minutes in a game since his ankle injury.
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Mavericks' Dereck Lively: Sees just 15 minutes
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Lively provided six points (3-3 FG) and one steal over 15 minutes during Wednesday's 112-97 loss to the Lakers.
Despite starting this game, Lively saw just 15 minutes and picked up three fouls. He's averaging 15.3 minutes per contest over his last three appearances since returning from injury, and it's clear the Mavericks are going to take a very cautious approach with the second-year center.
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Mavericks' Dereck Lively: Ruled out vs. LAC
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Lively (ankle) has been ruled out for Friday's game against the Clippers.
After returning from a 36-game absence due to an ankle fracture against the Hawks on Wednesday, Lively will not suit up for Friday's game against the Clippers to manage the injury. Dallas will likely lean on Daniel Gafford, Kai Jones and Dwight Powell in Los Angeles.
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Mavericks' Dereck Lively: Set to play Wednesday
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Lively (ankle) has been cleared to play in Wednesday's game against the Hawks.
Lively will return to action after missing the Mavericks' previous 36 games due to a right ankle stress fracture. Dallas is finally starting to get healthy in the frontcourt, with Anthony Davis, Daniel Gafford and now Lively all returning to action recently following extended absences. Lively will likely be operating with a minute restriction in his return.
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Mavericks' Dereck Lively: Practices, listed as questionable
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Lively (ankle) is listed as questionable for Wednesday's game against Atlanta.
Lively was upgraded to questionable before ultimately being ruled out Monday against Brooklyn. Still, he practiced fully Tuesday, per Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News, and is nearing a return to action after having not played since Jan. 14 due to a right ankle stress fracture. With Anthony Davis (adductor) probable and Daniel Gafford having returned following a lengthy absence of his own, Lively wouldn't be asked to play significant minutes if he's available Wednesday.
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Mavericks' Dereck Lively: Upgraded to questionable for Monday
Rotowire
Lively (ankle) is listed as questionable for Monday's game against the Nets.
His questionable tag is worth noting, as he had previously either been ruled out or listed as doubtful due to a right ankle injury that has kept him off the floor since Jan. 14. That indicates that he is in the final stages of his recovery from the injury, and when he does return he'll likely operate under a minutes restriction to allow him to get up to game speed.
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Mavericks' Dereck Lively: Set to practice in G League
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The Mavericks assigned Lively (ankle) to the G league's Texas Legends on Friday to take part in a 3-on-3 practice and will recall him after, NBA reporter Marc Stein reports.
Lively hasn't played since Jan. 14 due to an ankle injury but appears to be ramping up toward a return to action and will practice alongside Daniel Gafford (knee) while Anthony Davis (adductor) participates in a 5-on-5 scrimmage in the G League. Although there is no timetable for Lively's return, it appears that he will attempt to play before the end of the regular season.
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Mavericks' Dereck Lively: Progresses to individual work
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The Mavericks announced Friday that Lively (ankle) has progressed to individual court week after a recent re-evaluation, Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News reports.
Lively remains without an official timetable to return to action, but he's going to be re-evaluated weekly. The second-year center hasn't played since Jan. 14 due to a right ankle stress fracture, and his absence has loomed large while the Mavericks remain without Anthony Davis (adductor) and Daniel Gafford (knee) due to long-term injuries. All three of the big men look to be multiple weeks away from playing again.
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Mavericks' Dereck Lively: Out again Friday
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Lively (ankle) will not play Friday against the Thunder.
Lively will miss his second game in a row, and the fact that he's getting ruled out a day in advance suggests that he's not day-to-day at the moment. His next chance to play will be Monday against Charlotte. Daniel Gafford could continue to see a spike in fantasy appeal in the meantime after putting up 27 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks in 30 minutes against the Pelicans on Wednesday.
