5 Dallas Mavericks players whose roles aren't safe after the trade deadline

1. Dereck Lively II

By no means is this saying that Dereck Lively II's role won't be prominent for the Dallas Mavericks for the rest of the season. Lively II is Dallas' center of the future and had a magnificent return against the San Antonio Spurs last night.

But his role could look different.

In Lively II's return, he was on a minutes restriction, and Daniel Gafford started for the second-straight game. Both of Dallas' bigs had solid games, and due to the addition of Gafford, the Mavs won't have to rely on Lively II so much.

The Mavs' winning at the beginning of the season directly correlated to whether Lively II was playing, and now they don't have that problem. The starting center spot is Lively II's to lose, but Jason Kidd could have a tough choice to make if Gafford continues to play at a high level.

It seems extremely unlikely that Lively II will lose his starting spot at any point this season, but Kidd has made it clear that all decisions regarding the lineup are all business. Kidd is going to put the best lineup possible on the floor, regardless of whether that is Gafford or Lively II.

Fans should be excited that Dallas has two excellent centers now, and Lively II will thrive in whatever role that Kidd assigns him.

For all the latest on Jason Kidd, Dereck Lively II, and the Dallas Mavericks this season, stay tuned.