Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

Mavs Hint At Dereck Lively Taking Huge Step Next Season

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Nathan Karseno | Last updated Jul 11, 2025 6:41 PM ET

Hailed No. 1 pick rookie Cooper Flagg won't be the only player on the Dallas Mavericks who fans are anticipating seeing growth from on the court this season.

Along with veteran stars like Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis and Klay Thompson, the Mavs roster is filled out with solid role players that still have room in their game to grow.

One of the most promising long-term pieces with Flagg is young center Dereck Lively II, Dallas first-round pick two summers ago. Lively is an uber-athletic 7-footer with great shot-blocking intangibles and a rim-running lob-threat mindset offensively.

He averaged 8.7 points and 7.5 rebounds last season in 23 minutes per game. In time, many expect Lively to find a permanent home in the Mavs starting lineup for head coach Jason Kidd this season alongside two-way forward Davis. With that eventual increase in minutes, it's crucial Lively continues to develop his offensive ability, and that includes his play on the perimeter.

Lively would have a tendency to get stuck with the ball on the outside if he didn't make a quick decision to swing a pass. He may not be comfortable handling the rock, but if he finds some space to shoot, that confidence to let it fly could be of major impact to the team's spacing.

Mavericks reporter Noah Weber mentioned after the Mavs' Summer League win over the Los Angeles Lakers 87-85 Thursday that part-owner Mark Cuban hinted at a game plan that would give Lively more freedom to look for his shot.

Mark Cuban just talked about Dereck Lively II potentially taking 2-3 threes per game next season and giving Dallas the ability to play five-out.
— Noah Weber (@noahweber00) July 11, 2025

Kidd left many Mavs fans frustrated that Lively wasn't given much leash in putting up shots from deep, as the big man would catch himself drifting open to the corner only to keep the possession going and not shoot.

In practice, Lively has shown that he's capable of hitting a three-pointer, but his leeway in getting those opportunities in the regular season will depend on his consistency and trust from the coaching staff.

Lively played just 36 games last season after dealing with a stress fracture in his foot late in the year. Still, the soon-to-be 21 year old just has two three point attempts in his regular season career, missing both. He hit his first triple in the Mavs' last playoffs series, the NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics just over a year ago.

The Dallas offense will already see some new flavor with free agent signing D'Angelo Russell running the offense and Flagg's versatility playing all over the court, but if Lively can develop an outside game, it will be a major step in the right direction for this team's current and long-term future offensively.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: