The Mavericks’ long-term frontcourt picture looks bright on paper, but one big question sits right in the middle of it: Dereck Lively II’s health.
Dallas already has an intriguing young pairing in Cooper Flagg and Morez Johnson Jr. The Mavericks drafted Johnson Jr. with the No. 9 pick this summer, and the idea is easy to see.
Flagg and Johnson Jr. both bring winning impact, defense, and a team-first approach, which gives Dallas a promising base at the three and the four for years to come. If both keep developing, opponents could be staring at two of the Mavs’ best defenders and not liking what they see.
But that duo alone does not finish the job. If Dallas wants something bigger from this era, it needs a center who can anchor the five alongside Flagg and Johnson Jr. That is where Lively II comes in.
Lively II is 22, was Dallas’ best center during its NBA Finals run in his rookie year, and has already shown he can be an elite defender. The problem is availability.
He has played only 98 games over three seasons, including just seven last season, and a string of lower-body injuries has kept him from locking down a long-term role. He has also had multiple surgeries on his right foot.
For a 7-footer, that kind of injury history raises obvious alarms. Next season gives him a chance to push back against the idea that he is injury-prone, but the pressure is real. If he wants to be part of Dallas’ next great frontcourt, he has to prove he can stay on the floor.
Kyrie Irving still has to be considered in any conversation about a future Mavericks trio, but he is 34 years old. Teams have been calling about Irving this summer, and while Dallas has not shown any interest in moving him, that stance could always shift.
If the Mavericks do eventually move on from Irving and fully lean into the Flagg era, Lively II suddenly becomes even more important. He is already a player fans embraced during his rookie season, and that bond only deepened after he lost his mother right before the playoffs. Even with just three seasons under his belt, he is one of the longest-tenured players on the roster.
There is real breakout potential here, especially for the 2026-27 season. Still, Dallas can’t treat him like a foundation piece unless he proves he can handle a full year. His contract expires after next season, and the decision on whether to bring him back will almost certainly come down to how much he plays.
If he cannot stay healthy, the Mavericks should walk away. If he can, and Dallas rewards him with a new deal, the vision gets a lot more exciting. Flagg, Lively II, and Johnson Jr. would give the Mavericks three big, switchable defenders who rebound, play hard, and bring serious size to the floor.
With enough shooting and creation around them, that is a core Dallas can build around. Dusty May’s NBA career begins with a group that already has a strong shape - but Lively II’s health may decide whether it becomes something special.
In Other News...
Kyrie Irvings Return Could Change Everything For Cooper Flagg
The Mavericks enter a very different stretch than the one Cooper Flagg experienced in his rookie season, with Masai Ujiri taking over as general manager and Dusty May now on the bench. Flagg already showed he can handle the spotlight, but the roster around him is shifting in ways that could make his second year look much different, especially with Kyrie Irving set to rejoin the mix after his injury absence and Zaccharie Risacher also being evaluated as part of the bigger picture.
Irving's return matters because Dallas is no longer trying to build around a lone young centerpiece. Flagg had to navigate his first season without that kind of veteran backcourt partner, and the Mavericks now believe Irving's presence can help ease some of the pressure on their rookie star while giving the offense another layer of creativity. The real question is how quickly the fit takes shape and whether the new-look roster can turn all that promise into something more than just a talented collection of moving parts. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Could Make A Crucial Hire After Last Season's Medical Shakeup
The Mavericks spent last season dealing with a medical setup that came under the microscope, so it makes sense they are looking hard at the people behind the scenes now. One name to watch is Nico Berg, who has emerged as a candidate for the teams head of medical operations job as Dallas evaluates how it wants to rebuild that side of the operation.
Berg is not a longtime NBA fixture, which adds some intrigue to the process. His only prior consulting work in the league came with Minnesota more than a decade ago, so the Mavericks would be betting on a relatively fresh outside voice to help shape an area that can have as much impact on a season as any move on the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Finally Fixed One Backcourt Problem But Another Doubt Looms
Training camp is coming early for the Mavericks because of their international preseason schedule, and the first thing to notice is how much attention has gone into the shooting guard spot. Dallas reshaped the room by waiving Klay Thompson, moving A.J. Johnson, and keeping Max Christie and John Poulakidas, while also adding Zaccharie Risacher and Tarik Biberovic in an effort to fix a three-point shooting issue that hurt the team last season.
Christie looks like the likeliest starter, with Biberovic and Risacher in line for bench minutes if they can earn them, and Caleb Martin remains a possible option there because of what he brings defensively. Even after the front offices cleanup, though, the backcourt still carries a familiar Dallas question: whether the team has enough reliable two-way production at the position, or whether it is counting on one more swing than it can comfortably afford. [Read more 🡒]