Injured Mavericks Center Breaks Silence on Season-Ending Surgery

In Lively's 7 games, he averaged just 4.3 PPG and 5.3 RPG, but the roster was weird at the beginning of the season. Anthony Davis was clearly better at center, but he insisted on playing power forward, which clogged spacing, and the trade of Luka Doncic last year hurt the value of a player like Lively, who isn't going to create his own offense.

Irving's injury didn't help that, either. The Mavs were rolling with an early point guard rotation of D'Angelo Russell (sort of), Jaden Hardy (sort of), Brandon Williams, and Ryan Nembhard. None of those players has the gravity of Doncic or Irving. Cooper Flagg also spent time at point guard, but he was still trying to learn the position.

What Will Dallas Mavericks' Center Rotation Look Like Next Season?

With Dereck Lively's injury history, there needs to be some insurance there with him. Lively has a high ceiling, but they need a high-quality backup for him. That's why they first traded for Daniel Gafford, but as they look to cut salaries and taxes, Gafford seems to be a likely trade candidate. He had a lot of interest from teams at the trade deadline, but the Mavs didn't see an offer they liked, so they held onto him. However, he's played his best basketball of the season since the trade deadline, and that could help increase his value.

Marvin Bagley III will be a free agent this offseason, and he's shown value as a backup. They've also liked what Moussa Cisse has done on his two-way contract, and they'd probably like to bring him back, too. They also have three draft picks this summer, one of which could always be used to add another big.