Mavericks Nightly
All teams
The Big D Breakdown · Morning

Seth Lundy Joins Camp While Lively's Clearance Still Isn't In

Dallas adds Seth Lundy on a camp deal as Dereck Lively's foot clearance remains open.

$197.9MPayrollover the cap, under the tax
2026-10-09Lively Return Est.day-to-day, right foot, not yet cleared
2026-10-09 vs Rockets · PreseasonPreseason Openerfirst game of the fall
Seth LundyNew Signingcamp deal signed September 27
By the Mavericks Nightly Desk · Sunday, September 27

Seth Lundy joined the Mavericks on September 27, a day after signing his camp deal, while Dereck Lively II remains without clearance for training camp as Dallas heads toward its October 9 preseason opener against the Rockets. Payroll sits at $197.9 million, over the salary cap, under the tax threshold, with no roster move changing that math this week.

Mavericks Nightly artwork
Illustration by Hoops Nightly.

Lundy Fills Out Camp

The Lundy move follows a Hoops Rumors report the day before that he had signed a camp deal, alongside Sacramento's signing of Tristen Newton. It caps a churned week on the roster's fringe: Vsevolod Ishchenko left Dallas on September 21, and Dwight Powell departed that same day before re-signing on September 25. Lundy now competes for a spot on the exhibition roster as camp continues.

Lively's Foot Still Unresolved

Dereck Lively II remains day-to-day with a right foot and leg injury, with an estimated return of October 9 — the same day as Dallas' preseason opener against Houston. A September 24 report said he had not been cleared for training camp and could miss the start of the season. A Hoops Rumors notes column published September 27 grouped Lively with Kyrie Irving, Cooper Flagg and Dusty May, without further detail.

The Preseason Slate Arrives

Dallas opens the preseason October 9 at home against Houston, then plays the Rockets again October 11 before hosting New Orleans on October 14 and Atlanta on October 16. The regular season opens October 21 at Houston. Payroll stands at $197.9 million, over the salary cap, under the tax threshold, unchanged by any move this week.

Is Dereck Lively II cleared for Mavericks training camp?

Not as of the most recent report. He is listed day-to-day with a right foot and leg injury and has an estimated return of October 9, the same day as Dallas' preseason opener.

When does the Mavericks preseason start?

Dallas opens the preseason October 9 at home against the Houston Rockets, with the regular season opener set for October 21 at Houston.

By the Mavericks Nightly Desk, written from the club's data and the reports on file, with every name and number checked against them. How the desks work.

More from The Big D Breakdown

all Mavericks news →
The big question · Sat, Sep 26The Big Question: Did Dallas Trade Away Its Draft Future for Cooper Flagg?From the archives · Sat, Sep 26From the Archives: What 15-67 and 21 Seasons Say About This RosterMorning · Sat, Sep 26Powell Returns, Payroll Holds Steady Below the Tax LineAround the beat · Fri, Sep 25Around the Beat: Powell Signs, Irving Trade Talk, Flagg's Stock ClimbsBy the numbers · Fri, Sep 25Big D By The Numbers: Two Lineups, Two Different TeamsMorning · Fri, Sep 25Gafford's Center Job Gets More Interesting Overnight