Mavericks' patience with Dereck Lively II will pay off — no matter how annoying it is

Dallas Mavericks center Dereck Lively II has not been a full participant in training camp this week, as he is still recovering from foot surgery he underwent in December 2025. Lively was seen doing some light work on the side with an assistant coach, but he is not back to doing normal basketball activities.

There is no timetable for when D-Live will return to the hardwood for full-speed activity, and while some Mavericks fans are annoyed with how long it's taking him to return, the team is taking the right approach. Slow and steady wins the race when managing a 7-foot-1 big man's foot injuries.

Dallas is taking their time with Dereck Lively II's return

Masai Ujiri talked about Lively's recovery during Media Day last week, and while he didn't go into many specifics, he made it overwhelmingly clear that Dallas is in no rush to see him on the court. They're not going to rush him back before being confident that he's fully ready.

"We are going to be patient about this injury," Ujiri said. "I said it from day one that that’s the approach we’re going to take is being patient with D-Live because none of us here know what it’s like one to have an injury like that, two to be 7-foot-1,2 and carry all of that on that foot. It takes patience...There will be patience till we get this right."

Lively has played just 43 games over the last two seasons, and being patient is the best thing they can do to preserve his long-term health. The Mavericks need him healthy if they want him to be their long-term center of the future alongside Cooper Flagg, and taking an ultra-patient approach is the best way to do that.

How injuries have derailed Lively's career

Injuries have plagued his young career, as he has played just 98 games (39.8 percent of possible games) through his first three seasons in the association. Lower-body injuries have been his kryptonite, and his right foot has given him the most issues.

He has had multiple surgeries on it since the end of the 2024-25 season, and it all started when Dallas' former medical staff misdiagnosed a stress fracture as an ankle sprain. Lively was about to return from this, and the medical team even put him through a return-to-play workout. Thankfully, they took an extra look at it and realized that he had a stress fracture, but this foot has been bothering him ever since.

Why the Mavericks should take their time

Multiple surgeries later, the Mavericks are taking their time before bringing him back. MFFLs want to see him on the court badly, as his infectious energy, defense, and dunks bring life to the American Airlines Center, but they're going to have to wait a little bit longer.

Regardless of how frustrated the fan base is about not seeing Lively participating in basketball activities yet, this is the best plan for his long-term health. The Mavs have plenty of time to get this right, as they don't look like NBA Finals contenders to begin with, and giving the 22-year-old center all of the time he needs is the smartest approach here.

This plan is poised to pay off if he can put these recurring foot injuries behind him, as he could fully focus on his craft rather than constantly having to rehab injuries. The 2026-27 season is crucial for him, as he will enter restricted free agency next summer if the two sides don't agree on an extension, and getting fully healthy will put the Mavericks in the best possible spot to gauge whether he still makes sense as a member of their core.

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