Report: Mavs' Dereck Lively II Expected to Miss 2-3 Months With Foot Injury
January 22, 2025
Already playing without Luka Dončić due to a calf injury, the Dallas Mavericks are also going to be missing Dereck Lively II for an extended period of time.
Per ESPN's Shams Charania, Lively is expected to miss two to three months after being diagnosed with a small fracture in his right foot.
Lively has missed the past three games with what the Mavs were calling a sprained right ankle. He suffered the injury in the first quarter of a Jan. 14 game against the Denver Nuggets when he landed awkwardly on Nikola Jokić's foot going for a rebound.
The Mavericks officially listed Lively as questionable for Tuesday's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, but head coach Jason Kidd suggested earlier in the week that he wasn't nearing a return.
"I don't think so," Kidd said prior to Monday's matchup with the Charlotte Hornets when asked if Lively was close.
Injuries are threatening to derail what was supposed to be a promising season for the Mavericks after they reached the NBA Finals last season. They were third in the Western Conference standings with a 20-13 record after Dec. 31.
Dončić suffered a left calf strain in the second quarter of Dallas' 105-99 loss to Minnesota on Christmas Day. The team said he would be re-evaluated in a month, which is coming up in the next few days.
The Mavs have lost nine of their last 13 games since Dončić's injury and sit in seventh place in the West with a 23-20 record. They are only 1.5 games up on the Golden State Warriors (21-21) in the 11th spot.
Lively didn't make great strides this season after a promising rookie campaign, but he's been the starting center in Dallas for 25 of 32 games he's played thus far. The 20-year-old is averaging 9.1 points on 70.1 percent shooting and 7.8 rebounds per game.
A three-month timeline would likely mean Lively wouldn't return unless the Mavs make the playoffs. They will wrap up the regular season on April 13 against the Memphis Grizzlies.