The Dallas Mavericks are entering a new era under the direction of Masai Ujiri. He made the bold decision to fire Jason Kidd and hire Dusty May as the head coach. Now, he is trying to figure out who he wants on the roster around Cooper Flagg.
A couple of years removed from the Luka Doncic trade, the Mavs are trying to move on. Ujiri has to figure out who best complements Flagg, who was the Rookie of the Year. They have to figure out how to best fix the offense heading into a key developmental year.
It sounds like they would like to keep Dereck Lively II, as they have had some contract extension talks with him.
GettyDallas Mavericks center Dereck Lively II dribbles the ball in a game. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Mavericks in Early Extension Talks With Dereck Lively II
According to insider Marc Stein of the Stein Line, the Mavericks are in early discussions with Lively II about an extension. Lively II has had some injury problems, so determining his value will not be easy. He played just seven games last season before undergoing foot surgery.
In fact, Lively II has never played more than 55 games in a single season. In the three years of his NBA career, he has played 55, 36, and seven games. That little amount of availability will make it hard for Lively II to prove that he deserves a massive extension.
Ujiri would clearly like to bring him back if the Mavs can get him at a cheap number. Of course, Dallas has a lot of holes that they need to fill. Lively II can only be counted on as a backup with how few games he plays, so that’s why they have held on to Daniel Gafford.
The Mavericks certainly need a center who complements Flagg on the defensive end of the floor. Gafford does that with his rim protection, but they still need a solid backup. If Lively II tries to get too much money, Dallas will have no issue letting him walk.
GettyDallas Mavericks point guard Kyrie Irving drives the ball in a game. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
Dallas is Unlikely to be a Playoff Team
It would be surprising to see the Mavericks become a playoff team next season. They were one of the worst teams this past season and had one of the worst offenses. They owned the fourth-worst offense in the NBA, mainly because they had no point guard.
Kyrie Irving has been brought up in trade rumors, specifically before LeBron James signed with Philly. The Mavericks would like to see how he plays with Flagg, as he missed all of last year with a torn ACL. However, he proved to be effective in 2024 when he played in the NBA Finals.
Irving is fully recovered from his injury and is ready to play. If he stays on the roster, he should help the offense be much more efficient next season. There is still a chance that he gets moved before training camp opens, though.
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