Apr 11, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks minority owner Mark Cuban looks on during the second half against the Toronto Raptors at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Mark Cuban teases change for key Dallas Mavericks player

Originally posted on Dallas Mavericks on SI
By Austin Veazey | Last updated Jul 11, 2025 3:11 PM ET

The Dallas Mavericks had to adjust their offense on the fly last year due to the Luka Doncic trade and the many injuries the team suffered. It's hard to get into any kind of rhythm when the player the system is designed around his gone, and the two asked to fill his place (Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving) both miss prolonged stretches.

There are a few reasons to believe Dallas' offense could look a lot different next season. Kyrie Irving is expected to be out until January or February, at least, so they can't be as reliant on guard play as they were last season. Jason Kidd's coaching staff has been overhauled, as he lost all three of his lead assistants, so that means a new offensive coordinator.

Mark Cuban may have teased another reason at the NBA Summer League on Thursday. According to Noah Weber of the Smoking Cuban, Cuban talked about Dereck Lively II shooting 2-3 three-pointers per game next season, which would allow them to play with five-out offense.

It's been teased that Lively could stretch his game out to three since he got into the NBA, but we've only seen him make the one corner three against the Boston Celtics in Game 4 of the 2024 NBA Finals.

Lively was always touted as a prospect who could potentially space the floor, even dating back to high school. But the shaky free-throw shooting gave pause to that, and he was perfect as a rim-running lob threat for Luka Doncic. If Doncic isn't on the team anymore, though, those lobs won't be thrown nearly as often.

If this is the case, it may have been better for Cuban not to say anything. You'd rather surprise the NBA with Lively shooting threes, not tell the whole world about it beforehand.

This article first appeared on Dallas Mavericks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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