Mavericks' brutal injury update pushes Dallas toward unthinkable trade

Despite having a multi-day stretch off from games until they take on the Los Angeles Lakers in NBA Cup action on Friday, the Dallas Mavericks got some extremely unfortunate news on Tuesday, as 21-year-old Dereck Lively II will be out at least three games and will be re-evaluated after 7-10 days because of continual swelling and discomfort in his right foot.

Lively II still has immense potential, but with how alarming his injuries have been this early in his career, it may be time for the Mavericks to look at trading him. Lively II had recently returned from a right knee sprain on November 14, but had been on a 15-18 minute restriction since, and wasn't available on the second night of back-to-backs either.

Lively II has now missed 85 out of a potential 183 regular-season games, which equates to an availability percentage of roughly 54 percent. This isn't to say Lively II is at Anthony Davis levels when it comes to his health woes, but it's looking very rough for him given how early it is in his career, and he hasn't been able to put together a consistent stretch of games since his rookie season.

Lively II's injuries are becoming untenable — and could force Dallas' hand

Obviously, trading Lively II can't be the first pick on the Mavericks' bingo card, but with Dallas trying to build the best possible roster around Cooper Flagg going forward, Lively II may hold some of the most value on the roster when looking at potential trades across the league. Dallas' new front office shouldn't turn a blind eye if opposing teams start making calls on Lively II.

With Lively II still being so young and potential-filled, the Mavericks would be out of pocket to start openly shopping him or doing anything in their power to try and get him off their books, as they should only trade him if they can get another intriguing young player in return, or if they got irrefutable draft compensation.

27-year-old Daniel Gafford was undoubtedly a bigger trade candidate compared to Lively II heading into this season, especially given the structure of Gafford's extension over the summer. Despite this, Gafford has been far more reliable for the Mavericks in terms of staying on the court, and may be the better option to move forward with him as Dallas' primary center if they're looking to allocate their frontcourt depth for more guards or picks.

Again, trading Lively II shouldn't be the first priority on the checklist of Dallas' new front office, but the list of young big men that have forged a long and fulfilling career despite extreme injury woes in their first few seasons isn't a long one, so Lively II's career is off to a scary start after a promising rookie season.

Hopefully, Lively II can come back and put together a consistent stretch for the Mavericks this season and silence talk like this, but it may be in Dallas' best interest to get ahead of the curve when it comes to trading him, especially given the ascension of Moussa Cisse, as another major injury could dramatically decrease his value.

However, time will tell how this situation plays out, and Dallas has to just hope and pray they can finally get Lively II healthy for the time being, as they need him on the court more than ever.