Dallas Mavericks center Derek Lively II will undergo season-ending surgery to address discomfort in his right foot, the team announced Wednesday.
Lively, 21, played just seven games this season. He averaged 4.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists a game and shot 61.1% from the field.
The former 2023 first-round draft pick played a key role in helping Dallas reach the 2024 NBA title game, when he averaged 8.8 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.1 assists as a rookie out of Duke.
The Mavericks' remaining true center is a 6-foot-11, 220-pounder, Moussa Cisse, who is averaging 2.9 points and 3.3 rebounds a game this season. However, Dallas still has size in 6-foot-10 Anthony Davis and Daniel Gafford, and 6-foot-9 Cooper Flagg.
