Mavericks have a growing Dereck Lively II problem that must be fixed immediately

Believe it or not, the NBA season is already at the halfway point and many teams have surprised fans by their impressive play or a slow start to begin the year. While many teams are still trying to figure out their identity, the trade deadline is just a few weeks away and plenty of teams and players are scrambling to see where they will end up in early February.

The Dallas Mavericks are one of plenty of teams making phone calls to see if they can better their roster before games begin to matter for playoff implications. While the team doesn't have a major hole that is causing losses, the team does need to address its need for a backup four and their answer could be in Detroit.

This wouldn't be the first time Dallas came stomping on Detroit's footsteps for a possible deal as in the summer the two teams swapped players and draft picks, which has become a beneficial trade for both teams as Dallas landed Quentin Grimes while Detroit netted Tim Hardaway Jr.

Mavericks need to address Lively II's health issue

Despite Dallas' need for a backup power forward, they may need to address the concerning issue of Dereck Lively II's health. Against the Denver Nuggets last night, Lively II sprained his right ankle and this will likely add to his already nine missed games this year as the Mavericks will play the New Orleans Pelicans tomorrow.

In year two, it's clear to fans that Lively II has struggled to stay on the floor for an extended period of time. In Dallas' run to the Finals, Lively II arguably had his longest stretch of consistent health and that was easily the best the team had looked throughout the season.

This year, Lively II has been plagued by both lower body and upper body injuries, but his latest setback was suffered on Tuesday night when he rolled his ankle just four minutes into the game. This setback is not only concerning because the trade deadline is just a few weeks away, but on a larger scale, this could be a concerning issue that plagues Lively II's professional career.

The seven-footer has long been a prospect that fans drool over due to the potential he can bring on either end of the floor. On the offensive end, Lively II has the potential to be a playmaking machine in the short roll, while also being able to extend the ball past the 3-point line and letting it rain from deep.

Despite all of this positive outlook on the second-year pro's career, this could all be negated by his health and inability to stay on the floor for an extended period of time. Assuming Lively II becomes an asset who can't stay healthy, the Mavericks could be forced to make a tough decision in the coming years that could change the course of the Luka Doncic era in Dallas.

There's no doubt amongst fans that Lively II is the future center in Dallas for years to come, but if he can't stay healthy, it will be hard to call him a franchise cornerstone piece.

While the team is in talks to trade for frontcourt depth, they may want to look at trading for a third-string center in the case that Lively II has an untimely injury in the playoffs.