Dallas Mavericks center Dereck Lively II has reportedly undergone surgery to clean up bone spurs in his right foot.
NBA Insider Marc Stein reported that Lively underwent surgery and has been placed in a walking boot as part of the recovery process, though no exact date has been provided for when the procedure took place.
The good news for both Lively and the Mavericks is that he is expected to be fully recovered by the time training camp begins, sometime in September or October, according to Shams Charania of ESPN.
On the other hand, this surgery marks a concerning trend for one of the best young players on the Mavericks’ roster, as Lively has continually dealt with lower-body injuries during his short NBA career.
Lively missed a total of 46 games last season due to various injuries, including a stress fracture in his foot that caused him to miss 36 games near the end of the season.
Additionally, Lively dealt with injury issues during his rookie season in 2023-24, missing a total of 27 games due to various injuries.
Although many of the issues Lively has dealt with have resulted from unfortunate outcomes, the consistency of the injuries and the size of the player also play major factors, with Lively standing as one of the tallest players in the NBA at 7’1″ and 230 pounds.
When healthy, Lively has proven to be one of the most productive players on the Mavericks’ roster, finishing the 2024-25 season with averages of 8.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks despite playing only 23.1 minutes per game.
However, the franchise must remain cautious during his recovery and allow Lively to take his time before returning to the court.
Foot injuries have a history of derailing the careers of big men in the NBA, with many legends and young players consistently dealing with injuries due to inadequate recovery time and improper rehabilitation.
This injury also marks yet another significant surgery that a Mavericks player has undergone in recent months. In addition to Lively, both Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis have undergone surgery in recent months.
Irving is currently working to come back from a torn ACL suffered in March, with Mavericks General Manager Nico Harrison recently claiming that he is “ahead of schedule” in that process, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
Meanwhile, Davis underwent surgery to repair a detached retina that was suffered at some point last season, according to Shams Charania.
Realistically, the Mavericks will need all three of these players to return to full health by the end of next season to truly compete for an NBA Championship, which has become the clear goal for a group that is in a win-now situation.