"Trade candidate for Nico to trade for LeBron James" - NBA fans react to Dereck Lively II's major foot surgery ahead of Mavericks training camp

The Dallas Mavericks have confirmed that Dereck Lively II has undergone surgery this summer. ESPN's Shams Charania reported on Tuesday that the big man had a procedure to clean up bone spurs in his right foot. Last season, Lively was limited to 36 games due to a broken foot.

The Mavericks are making sure their young big man is healthy for the 2025-26 season. According to Charania's report, Lively is expected to be ready for training camp.

The 7-foot-1 center left a strong impression in his rookie season, averaging 8.8 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game. Lively finished sixth in the Rookie of the Year voting.

Last season, his numbers were similar, averaging 8.7 ppg, 7.5 rpg and 1.6 bpg. Mainly, it's because of his limitations on the court that prevented him from showing improvement. Also, the Mavericks' decision to trade star Luka Doncic affected Lively's effectiveness on the floor.

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Fans saw the update from the ESPN journalist and had strong reactions. Some fans even expressed interest in seeing Lively be traded to a different team.

"He’s an injury liability, valid trade candidate for Nico to trade for LeBron James," a fan said.

"Spurs should trade for him.. out of principle," another fan interpreted bone spurs differently.

"I guess he wont be included in that Lebron trade..." one fan reacted.

Others thought Charania's post was a trade update.

"Bro You gotta change the headlines or something bro you almost gave me a heart attack 😂," a fan pointed out.

"this gave me a heart attack😭😭😭So glad its just surgery news and he's ok," someone commented.

"I thought he got traded man 💀," a comment read.

With the injury behind him, Dereck Lively II is expected to have a better year ahead.

Mark Cuban teased an improvement on Dereck Lively II's game

Players are constantly adding to their arsenal as their careers go on. While Dereck Lively II has often been on the sidelines due to injuries, it hasn't prevented him from improving his overall game.

Lively doesn't have the best offensive game most of the time. The former Duke center doesn't have a reliable post game and relies on pick-and-roll opportunities to generate his points. He also takes advantage of getting put-back points whenever he gets offensive rebounds.

The good news for Mavericks fans is that Lively is adding a 3-point game to his offense. Minority owner Mark Cuban discussed Lively's next step after the team's 87-85 win over the Los Angeles Lakers in the summer league.

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It also allows him to be a reliable option on offense, and he could be a problem on both ends.

About the author

Reign Amurao specializes in basketball at Sportskeeda, bringing 3 years of experience to his role and a Bachelor's Degree in Communication.

A fervent supporter of the Phoenix Suns, Reign was hooked to their electrifying "Seven-Seconds-Or-Less" offense, which epitomizes high-paced and high-intensity basketball. For Reign, Steve Nash is the ultimate floor general, and he believes Boris Diaw could've been the next Magic Johnson if he had a bit more discipline.

From Reign's perspective, Anthony Edwards is a 90s player stuck in modern times, and Gregg Popovich is an ultimate winner with unparalleled success and leadership in the sport.

Reign's expertise lies in NBA history, particularly the significant moments and trends of the 2000s and 2010s. He prioritizes in-depth research using only credible sources to maintain accuracy in his articles, and avoids misleading topics.

Beyond basketball, Reign enjoys gaming with friends and watches comedy shows and films.

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Edited by Ribin Peter