Dark omens regarding Dereck Lively have been borne out. Although he has not played since November due to a foot injury, about a month ago doubts began to arise about whether he would be ready for the start of the preseason, doubts that Tim MacMahon, of ESPN, has answered with a negative. And, worse still, it has continued fueling uncertainty ahead of the regular season.
Sources: Mavs C Dereck Lively II (foot) has not been cleared for camp as he continues to recover from his December surgery. His status for the start of the season has yet to be determined. He has not suffered any setback and is slowly ramping up to begin basketball activity.
— Tim MacMahon (@BannedMacMahon) September 24, 2026
MacMahon notes that the center will not be ready to start training camp with the rest of his teammates, and adds that his status for the remainder of the season is still to be determined. This opens the door to Lively possibly not even being ready for the first regular-season game, scheduled for October 21, which does not bode well for a player who, in his first three seasons, has already missed 148 games.
The good news is that these issues are not a relapse, and it appears that Dereck continues to make progress. And, given his history, it makes sense for both him and the Mavericks to take every possible precaution and proceed cautiously so that, once he returns, he can participate normally in the remaining stretch ahead.
Last season, Lively appeared in the first three regular-season games before going on injured reserve, and when he returned to the floor a few weeks later he played only four more games before missing time again. It was then decided, after some time, that undergoing surgery was the best option, and now the recovery must be as cautious as the player’s body requires. Because, although losing him for such an extended period is bad news, the real disaster would arrive if he were to return hastily.
