The Mavericks have a real decision on their hands with Dereck Lively II, and the clock is tight. The deadline to extend first-round picks from the 2023 NBA Draft arrives on Monday, just one day before the 2026-27 season begins, and Dallas may face the trickiest call of them all.
This is the last remaining first-rounder from that draft for the Mavericks. Olivier-Maxence Prosper is already gone after Nico Harrison stretched and waived his contract ahead of the 2025-26 season so Dallas could bring back Dante Exum. That move, like so many of Harrison’s decisions, backfired badly when Exum had knee surgery in the offseason, then needed another procedure early in the year and ended up missing the entire season.
That leaves Lively as the big question.
When he’s been on the floor, Lively has shown enough to make the extension discussion feel very real. He looked like a potential All-Defensive force during Dallas’ 2024 playoff run as a rookie, and that run carried all the way to the NBA Finals. He also brings the best mix of athleticism, rim protection and passing that the Mavericks have at center.
His playmaking is easy to overlook, but it matters. While Luka Doncic was still with the team, Lively’s short-roll game gave Dallas a useful wrinkle: catch the pass, take one dribble to the rim or kick to an open shooter.
In today’s league, that kind of big man profile fits. The problem is that the scoring outside the paint still needs a lot of work.
The bigger concern is simple: Lively has not been able to stay healthy.
He played 55 games as a rookie, but since then he has appeared in only 43 games total, including just 7 in the 2025-26 season. Some of that ties back to the same mess that has followed Harrison elsewhere.
Dallas hired an unlicensed training staff, and that group misread a foot injury Lively suffered in January 2025. What was believed to be a sprained ankle turned out to be a stress fracture, which required surgery.
Lively had another procedure that offseason to remove bone spurs, but the foot never fully settled down. He then had another surgery in December, and he hopes that finally ends the injury problems. His return timeline, though, remains unknown.
Because of that, the most likely path is that Lively takes the qualifying offer next year and gives himself another shot to prove he can hold up physically.
Still, ESPN’s Bobby Marks floated a deal that could make sense for both sides: "Three years, $35 million. The first-year $10.8 million salary is comparable to the one-year qualifying offer Lively is eligible for next summer if an extension is not reached. The second year is guaranteed, but the third is contingent on Lively playing at least 41 games in the first or second season of the contract," Marks said.
That kind of structure would protect Dallas if the injuries keep piling up, while also giving Lively more guaranteed money up front. It could also leave room for a mutual option in the final year, giving either side a clean exit if that’s what they want.
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Mavericks Keep Giving One Young Big Man Another Look
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Jorge Diaz Graham is the latest big man to get another look, and there is at least some indication the Mavericks want to keep him around for a while. The broader picture is familiar for this time of year: Dallas is auditioning prospects, while other teams are making similar housekeeping moves, including the Clippers bringing back Fletcher Loyer on an Exhibit 10 deal and the Jazz opening a spot after waiving Mohamed Wague. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Gave This Stretch Big A Real Chance To Earn More
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Now the challenge gets sharper with only the final two preseason games left to make another impression. Diaz Graham is still competing against the rest of the camp bodies for limited opportunities, but there is at least a path to a two-way contract if he can keep standing out in the minutes he gets. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Just Made Their Two-Way Wing Battle Even Tougher
The Mavericks added another name to the mix on the wing, signing 6-foot-7 forward Matt Cross and bringing their preseason roster to 21 players. Cross is expected to be around for the teams final two preseason games, giving Dallas one more look at a player whose appeal comes from activity, rebounding, energy and a workable shot.
For a roster still sorting out its depth, Cross only adds to the pressure on the clubs two-way wing competition. His spot in the regular-season picture is far from settled, but the signing does increase the number of options Dallas has on the perimeter as the preseason winds down and decisions get closer. [Read more 🡒]