Mavericks injury update puts nightmare opening night scenario in play

Following missing 75 games in the 2025-26 season after undergoing season-ending foot surgery, Dereck Lively II's offseason is already off to a rocky start. The Dallas Mavericks' prized big man hasn't played in a game since November, and his latest self-given injury update puts the nightmare scenario of him not being ready for opening night next season on the table.

Lively II not being available for the genesis of the first official year of the Cooper Flagg era would be a major disappointment, especially given that he's expected to be a piece of Dallas' core alongside Flagg and Kyrie Irving. Injuries have unfortunately derailed his young career, and the Mavericks not having their starting center of the future to begin next season would get them off to a rough start in the injury department once again. This is the last thing they need.

"No boot, no crutches, just normal walking shoes, and then slowly just trying to get back to building my lower leg strength," Lively II said. "I've been in the gym with Luke, been in the gym with the Mavs, and man, I feel like I'm gonna fall over every day. No matter if it's me doing calf raises, just making me get a newfound respect of what I used to be able to do, and now I gotta work back to being 100 percent."

Dereck Lively II faces a long summer of rehab ahead

Lively II joined the “Game Recognize Game” podcast with Breanna Stewart and Myles Turner on Wednesday, and this update on his progress has multiple layers to it. Being out of a boot and not using crutches is a small positive, but far from reassurance. We saw him use crutches and later a cane and then a walking boot during the regular season after his surgery, and he has clearly progressed, given that he is now back to wearing both shoes.

Despite this, he still has a long way to go before he returns to the floor. This update proves that he isn’t anywhere close to doing full-speed basketball workouts, as he is just trying to rebuild the strength in his right leg. Him saying " I feel like I'm gonna fall over every day," despite the surgery being about five months ago, is concerning, and he still has a lot of rehab to go.

The December surgery on his right foot was to address lingering discomfort and swelling, and it came less than six months after a surgery to remove bone spurs in the same foot.

This is a slippery slope for a 7-foot-1 center, especially given that he had a stress fracture in his right ankle during the 2024-25 season as well. That’s a lot of injuries on the same foot for a player above 7-foot who has only played 98 games through the first three seasons of his career, and his availability for training camp and the beginning of the 2026-27 regular season is far from guaranteed.

Jason Kidd admitted uncertainty about Lively II's status

The Mavericks or Lively II haven’t provided an official timetable for his return outside of Mavs PR, stating he is "expected to make a full recovery and be available for the start of training camp" when his surgery was initially announced, and even Jason Kidd couldn’t confirm if he would be back on the floor by training camp in October during his exit interview on April 12.

“I don't know when or what to expect D-Live right now," Kidd said when asked if Lively II would be back before training camp begins. "Hopefully he's ready for training camp, but medically I can't give you the answer today because I don't know.”

That doesn't sound very convincing from Lively II's head coach, and while he still has about five months until training camp begins, he has a lot of progress to make before then. His vulnerability and honesty with Turner and Stewart is worth noting, and Mavericks fans are pulling for him hard to make a full recovery.

Lively II still has a promising career ahead of him if he can get his injuries under control, and rehabbing his surgically repaired right foot is the current hurdle that he has to clear. He's going to take his time before stepping back on the floor, and fans can only hope that the 22-year-old rim runner is ready to go to begin next season.

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