NBA Notes: Mavericks, Dereck Lively II, Pelicans, Kevon Looney, Grizzlies

Mavericks center Dereck Lively II recently underwent surgery to clean up bone spurs in his right foot, according to Marc Stein of The Stein Line.

Lively was seen in a walking boot following the procedure but has since moved out of it. The expectation is that the 20-year-old will be ready for training camp in the fall.

This is the same foot that caused issues earlier in the year. Lively was diagnosed with a small fracture in January, which sidelined him until April and limited him to just 36 games during the 2024-25 season. He averaged 8.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.6 blocks in 23.1 minutes per game.

Back in the spring, there was internal tension within the Mavericks’ medical staff regarding how to handle Lively’s foot injury. The disagreement reportedly led to a heated exchange between director of player health and performance Johann Bilsborough and athletic performance director Keith Belton. The incident prompted an HR investigation, and Belton has since been let go.

As Stein notes, Lively is one of three key Mavericks currently recovering from surgeries. Kyrie Irving is working his way back from an ACL tear, while Anthony Davis recently had a procedure to repair a detached retina.

Looney Reflects on Warriors Exit

Veteran center Kevon Looney spent a decade with the Warriors, but his final days with the franchise left him feeling uncertain about his place.

Looney signed with the Pelicans this offseason after appearing in 599 regular-season games for the Warriors. He told the Warriors Plus Minus podcast that his playoff usage in the first-round series against the Rockets, and physical big man Steven Adams in particular, made him feel the team had lost trust in him.

“We’re going up against Steven Adams, this is what I do,” Looney said. “They’re not really giving me the chance to really let me do what I do. It’s like, alright, you guys don’t trust me.”

Looney played fewer than 15 minutes in every game of that series, including a low of two minutes in a Game 6 loss. He ultimately signed a two-year, $16 million deal with New Orleans, where he’ll team up with former Warriors teammate Jordan Poole and look to carve out a larger role in the Pelicans’ frontcourt rotation.

Grizzlies Make Aldama, Landale Deals Official

• The Grizzlies officially announced Santi Aldama‘s new three-year contract. According to ESPN, the restricted free agent forward agreed to a deal worth $52.5 million. The Pistons were reportedly among the teams showing interest, but Aldama opted to remain in Memphis following a strong season.

• Memphis also officially signed Jock Landale to a one-year minimum deal after he was waived by the Rockets. Landale averaged 4.8 points and 3.3 rebounds in 11.9 minutes per game last season, backing up Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams in Houston. His contract with the Rockets had originally been a four-year, $32 million deal with only the first year fully guaranteed.