Dereck Lively II is listed as day-to-day with a right foot injury after failing to progress to running, per the Mavericks' Sunday injury report. His status for Dallas's Oct. 9 season opener against the Rockets remains unclear.
What happened
Dereck Lively II appears on the Mavericks' Sunday, Sept. 6 injury report as day-to-day with a foot and leg injury on his right side. His previous designation is not announced. Christian Clark of The Athletic reported that Lively still has not progressed to running as he works back from the foot issue. The center's expected return is listed as Oct. 1, 2026, ahead of Dallas's season opener. No further detail on how the injury occurred or its severity is available.
What it means for the Mavericks
Dallas opens the season Oct. 9 against the Rockets, and Lively's readiness for that game is in question if he has not resumed running by then. Last season he averaged 4.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 16.5 minutes across seven games. In minutes without him, Anthony Davis (31.3 minutes, 20.4 points) and Daniel Gafford (21.7 minutes, 9.5 points) have carried the frontcourt load, with Cooper Flagg (33.5 minutes, 21.0 points) and P.J. Washington (31.0 minutes, 14.2 points) also seeing heavy time. The Mavericks have not played a regular-season game yet, so there is no record with or without him to compare.
What to watch
The next injury report will show whether Lively has advanced to running before the Oct. 9 opener against Houston. His expected return is Oct. 1, 2026, which would put him ahead of that game if the timeline holds. Santi Aldama (right knee) and Kyrie Irving (left knee) are also day-to-day on the same Mavericks report, adding further uncertainty to Dallas's rotation entering the season.
Is Dereck Lively II playing vs the Rockets?
He is day-to-day with a right foot injury and has not progressed to running, so his status for the Oct. 9 season opener against Houston is not settled.
When will Dereck Lively II be back?
His expected return is listed as Oct. 1, 2026, though as of the latest report he had not yet progressed to running.