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+--- Thread: Can we build around Derek Lively? (/showthread.php?tid=4050)
Can we build around Derek Lively? - Benskix2 - 11-25-2025
I love him when he plays, but he can't stay on the court. Does he become more durable as his body develops, or is he just never going to be physically capable of staying healthy playing NBA basketball? What is his trade value now? What is his trade value next year if he can't stay healthy and isn't under contract past that year? He seems like a great dude and an ideal teammate, but this team cannot continue to hand out contracts to players who wear suits. I feel like we need to move him, please talk me out of it.
RE: Can we build around Derek Lively? - Smitty - 11-26-2025
Lively is not someone you build around anyway? Too many fans have overrated him to the point that some even think of him as untouchable or as you put here, a building block. Yes, he has shown to be an elite defensive big that has switch-ability on the perimeter as well as great rim protection. His on/off and netRTG numbers always show how impactful he is but he's a ~20 minute per game, 4 points per game, 5 rebounds a game -- Big this year, that has played ~40% of available games in his career. Sure, we love him because he's ours, but I don't think the league would value him like some here do.
I would love nothing more than for Lively to stay healthy and show that he can be a big minute's player and finish his long career here, but I fear that we'll soon get the "Lively is out for the season" tweet and it just sucks! Especially for him.
We talked this summer about this being an important season for him, with the extension talks looming next offseason. He had a chance to show that he could stay healthy, play starter minutes, be a PnR Big of the future with Flagg. Unfortunately, he will now be labeled as an injury prone Big, and the Mavs front office would be crazy to permanently pencil him in for any future roster building plans. Whatever you get from Lively going forward should be considered 'a bonus'.
RE: Can we build around Derek Lively? - Ghello - 11-26-2025
Build around who?
RE: Can we build around Derek Lively? - Jym - 11-26-2025
At this point you try to lowball him as much as you can on an extension and hope he eventually has a bounce back in health.
Whatever we would get in a trade would have to be extremely disappointing
RE: Can we build around Derek Lively? - Chicagojk - 11-26-2025
The last year and a half has been disappointing. I always viewed him as being a important part of a championship team. He just hasn't been able to stay on the floor. Also frustrating is the lack of stretch for his offensive game. Right now because of his limitations on offense, he probably is not more than your 5th best player on a good team. I really think he has it in him to be a #4 or potentially #3. He will just need to be more of a threat to score...and stay healthy. I have always viewed him that he can be one of the most important players on the floor while averaging 12 and 10. He needs to find a way to get buckets though imo.
RE: Can we build around Derek Lively? - ballsrchr - 11-26-2025
At this stage of Lively's career the answer has to be no. It's my opinion that his physical stature is not ready for prime NBA play. I would give it a 50/50 shot that it ever could be. It would mean considerable time spent with highly qualified trainers and severely limited playing time...for awhile. That is not happening right now.
So...build around Lively?...No.
Cooper Flagg is the only possibility on the Mavs. Even then it's not a lock...but close. He can be good, better--or great. I'm hoping for great.
RE: Can we build around Derek Lively? - KillerLeft - 11-26-2025
Yes, I’d still be in the mindset of building around Lively. He’s just too much of a difference maker to give up on him, imho.
To me, it’s almost as clear as not giving up on Luka just because he was out of shape the last few years was to many of you.
RE: Can we build around Derek Lively? - BigDirk41 - 11-26-2025
Lively isn't a building block. Cooper Flagg is the building block. Lively is a super injury prone athletic center with a lot of POTENTIAL.
RE: Can we build around Derek Lively? - FireNicoHarrison - 11-26-2025
(11-26-2025, 12:02 PM)BigDirk41 Wrote: Lively isn't a building block. Cooper Flagg is the building block. Lively is a super injury prone athletic center with a lot of POTENTIAL.
Agree
Not even Lively 82games player is a player to building around, he is potential a great player with awesome mindset and work ethic. Defensive changer for sure.
I really hope that Flagg is that man. But not sure.
RE: Can we build around Derek Lively? - mvossman - 11-26-2025
There is a lot of room between Building around Lively and selling him off for a crappy asset. I mean what do you think you are going to be able to get for him? I doubt anyone is giving a first in this upcoming draft.
What we do know is that he is capable of playing elite level playoff defense and is an age that fits Flagg timeline. We don't know if he will ever stay healthy, but I would rather be patient and see if he can get healthy than trade him for a crappy asset that is probably even less likely to turn into something valuable.
RE: Can we build around Derek Lively? - rocky164 - 11-26-2025
(11-26-2025, 12:29 PM)mvossman Wrote: There is a lot of room between Building around Lively and selling him off for a crappy asset. I mean what do you think you are going to be able to get for him? I doubt anyone is giving a first in this upcoming draft.
What we do know is that he is capable of playing elite level playoff defense and is an age that fits Flagg timeline. We don't know if he will ever stay healthy, but I would rather be patient and see if he can get healthy than trade him for a crappy asset that is probably even less likely to turn into something valuable.
I can’t like this post enough! Well said. End of conversation.
RE: Can we build around Derek Lively? - Benskix2 - 11-28-2025
(11-26-2025, 12:29 PM)mvossman Wrote: There is a lot of room between Building around Lively and selling him off for a crappy asset. I mean what do you think you are going to be able to get for him? I doubt anyone is giving a first in this upcoming draft.
What we do know is that he is capable of playing elite level playoff defense and is an age that fits Flagg timeline. We don't know if he will ever stay healthy, but I would rather be patient and see if he can get healthy than trade him for a crappy asset that is probably even less likely to turn into something valuable.
I guess I was hopeful that he might still be worth a late first given his pedigree, or thinking that he could at least be seen as a positive component of a larger multi-team trade when we dump AD and Kyrie. I didn't mean build around like he's a cornerstone, I'm questioning if he should be counted on for ANY role as we reconstruct the roster or do we just have to view him as a long term developmental project and keep 3 other centers on the roster.
RE: Can we build around Derek Lively? - ItsGoTime - 11-28-2025
All summer I was on trade machines trying to figure out how to trade and get Cason Wallace and Anthony Black on this team to be our backcourt of the future. I never considered Lively as a piece to get him, but he does work straight up for Wallace. I would do that trade, don’t exactly think the Thunder would straight up. Then my thought goes towards getting Black from Orl. They could definitely use what Kyrie brings to the game over there IMO. So my thought would possibly be Black, WCJ and Isaac maybe some seconds or a first for Kyrie.
RE: Can we build around Derek Lively? - meistermatze - 11-30-2025
No. He is an amazing defensive talent and could be a top 10 Center in this league for sure but I have given up hope. He just can not stay healthy. I would trade him at high value, when he has a healthy and productive stretch.
RE: Can we build around Derek Lively? - ThisIStheYear - 12-02-2025
He’s more of a building block than a guy you build around. It’s way too early to write DLive off.
RE: Can we build around Derek Lively? - Dahlsim - 12-03-2025
Mostly a question that depends on how the Mavs medical team and coaching staff evaluate Lively injury risk.
His upper body injury's such as broken nose and shoulder sprain are less an "injury prone" factor although it may speak to something about the style in which he plays.
Knee, ankle, foot, those are key questions for the medical staff and conditioning coaches to ask and answer. Can he be healthier with targeted work or is there something very likely to derail him long term here? Nico for example read into Luka's calf injury and history of playing overweight a bit when offering reason's for the terrible trade. That hasn't turned out to be the best read so far as Luka has made a fool out of him on that risk assessment ....
RE: Can we build around Derek Lively? - RoyTarpleysGhost - 12-03-2025
The conversation is now moot. He's missing significant time again for a third straight year. At this point, he has more value to the Mavs if he ever gets healthy than he does trade value.
RE: Can we build around Derek Lively? - ThisIStheYear - 12-04-2025
It seems that Nico’s crack medical team may have ruined DLive’s career. What a terrible person.
RE: Can we build around Derek Lively? - Smitty - 12-10-2025
(11-26-2025, 07:56 AM)Smitty Wrote: Lively is not someone you build around anyway? Too many fans have overrated him to the point that some even think of him as untouchable or as you put here, a building block. Yes, he has shown to be an elite defensive big that has switch-ability on the perimeter as well as great rim protection. His on/off and netRTG numbers always show how impactful he is but he's a ~20 minute per game, 4 points per game, 5 rebounds a game -- Big this year, that has played ~40% of available games in his career. Sure, we love him because he's ours, but I don't think the league would value him like some here do.
I would love nothing more than for Lively to stay healthy and show that he can be a big minute's player and finish his long career here, but I fear that we'll soon get the "Lively is out for the season" tweet and it just sucks! Especially for him.
We talked this summer about this being an important season for him, with the extension talks looming next offseason. He had a chance to show that he could stay healthy, play starter minutes, be a PnR Big of the future with Flagg. Unfortunately, he will now be labeled as an injury prone Big, and the Mavs front office would be crazy to permanently pencil him in for any future roster building plans. Whatever you get from Lively going forward should be considered 'a bonus'.
@ShamsCharania
Dallas Mavericks center Dereck Lively II will undergo season-ending right foot procedure to address lingering discomfort, sources tell me and Tim MacMahon. Lively, who played 7 games this season, is expected to make a full recovery.
As for extension talks this summer. I think the most I'm offering is 4/$30M with a TO. Any higher and it needs to be structured like the Zion contract, or the FO needs to let it play out and see if he can stay healthy before reaching RFA the following summer.
RE: Can we build around Derek Lively? - FireNicoHarrison - 12-10-2025
You have the answer...