Dereck Lively II is the only member of the Dallas Mavericks who isn't participating in some capacity due to injury, as he's still recovering from the foot surgery that he had in December.

It was announced a few days before training camp that Lively wouldn't be ready yet, and his status for the start of the season is still in question.

While a lot of fans are concerned that Lively still isn't ready, he has been grateful for the organization letting him take his time with his recovery to make sure something like this never happens again.

“It’s been a lot of focus, a lot of days in the gym, a lot of hard days working. It’s been ups and downs, trying to keep my focus on what I can control, not worry about things... out of my control. And just having trust in my team, having trust in the people around me, my doctors, and the people who support me,” Lively started.

“I’m happy where I am. I’m very grateful to the team for just giving me the ability to just take my time, make sure I’m doing everything right, and making sure I’m taking care of my body. I’ve been running the treadmill, been practicing jumps, been slowly getting back on the court, getting my shots up, making sure I’m still confident in my shot."

Dereck Lively II 'Sick' Of Injury Narrative

While Lively has been grateful to the Mavericks for being patient, he is a little sick of seeing people make fun of his recovery or spread false narratives about it.

"I'm sick of seeing things on the internet thinking that I can't run, can't jump, which I can and which I've been doing," Lively explained in a short interview with "Locked On Mavs." "I'm thankful for the Mavs to just let me take my time and be slow, making sure I'm doing everything that I need to do to make sure my body will never have to worry about anything ever again."

Lively is entering the final year of his rookie contract, making this a pivotal season for the big man.

He's shown that he can anchor a championship-level defense when healthy, but health has been the biggest pain point in his career.

Lively played just 7 games last year due to that foot surgery, which was his third procedure on the same foot in a calendar year.

It started with a stress fracture that was initially misdiagnosed as a sprained ankle. After returning late in the 2024-25 season, he had bone spurs removed from that foot during the 2025 offseason.

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