# Dereck Lively II
**Dereck Lively II** (Dereck Jerome Lively II; born 2004 in Philadelphia) is an American professional basketball player who plays center for the [Dallas Mavericks](https://www.edgepedia.org/dallas-mavericks) of the NBA. He was a five-star high school recruit, played one season at Duke, and was selected 12th overall in the 2023 [NBA draft](https://www.edgepedia.org/nba-draft) by the [Oklahoma City Thunder](https://www.edgepedia.org/oklahoma-city-thunder), who traded him to Dallas on draft night.
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 2004, Philadelphia[1](https://www.mavs.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/2024-25-Dallas-Mavericks-Media-Guide-2.pdf) |
| Position / size | Center, 7 feet 1 inch, 230 pounds, shoots right-handed[2](https://www.nba.com/draft/2023/prospects/dereck-lively-ii) • [3](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/l/livelde01.html) |
| Draft | 2023 NBA draft, first round, 12th pick, by Oklahoma City; acquired by Dallas in a trade[2](https://www.nba.com/draft/2023/prospects/dereck-lively-ii) |
| Duke season (2022-23) | 5.2 points on 65.8% shooting, 5.4 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 2.4 blocks in 20.6 minutes per game; started 24 of 34 games[2](https://www.nba.com/draft/2023/prospects/dereck-lively-ii) |
| Rookie honors | 2023-24 All-Rookie selection; sixth in Rookie of the Year voting[3](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/l/livelde01.html) • [4](https://www.si.com/nba/mavericks/onsi/news/comparing-dereck-lively-ii-against-2023-nba-draft-class-dallas-mavericks) |
| 2024 playoffs | Appeared in 21 of 22 postseason games in Dallas's run to the NBA Finals, averaging 7.9 points on .674 shooting, 7.4 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.0 block[1](https://www.mavs.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/2024-25-Dallas-Mavericks-Media-Guide-2.pdf) |
| Career earnings | At least $15,043,560 from professional basketball[3](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/l/livelde01.html) |
## High school and recruitment
Lively attended Westtown School in [West Chester, Pennsylvania](https://www.edgepedia.org/west-chester-pennsylvania)[3](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/l/livelde01.html). As a five-star recruit he won Pennsylvania Gatorade Player of the Year and was invited to the McDonald's All-American game, the Jordan Brand Classic, and the Nike Hoop Summit in 2022, then committed to Duke[2](https://www.nba.com/draft/2023/prospects/dereck-lively-ii). 247Sports ranked him the No. 2 national recruit in his class[5](https://epub.stripes.com/docs/MID_MID_220623/MID_MID_220623.pdf).
## College career at Duke
A calf injury held the 7-foot-1 freshman out for much of the preseason, but he still led all NCAA freshmen in blocked shots at 2.3 per game[6](https://goduke.com/documents/download/2023/3/7/ACCT_Qtrs__3-9-23_.pdf). Over the course of the season, Lively posted per-game averages of 5.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 2.4 blocks on 65.8% shooting in 20.6 minutes of play, starting 24 of his 34 games, and as Duke claimed its conference tournament he earned spots on both the ACC All-Freshman Team and the ACC All-Defensive Team.[2](https://www.nba.com/draft/2023/prospects/dereck-lively-ii)
His offensive role was narrow. In a three-game stretch in early February 2023 against Wake Forest, Miami, and North Carolina, opponents shot 3-for-28 (.107) and were blocked 17 times with Lively as the primary defender[6](https://goduke.com/documents/download/2023/3/7/ACCT_Qtrs__3-9-23_.pdf). Scouts described him as the best rim-protecting prospect in college basketball[7](https://www.si.com/nba/draft/newsfeed/2023-nba-draft-evaluating-dukes-dereck-lively-ii), while noting limited offensive creation: among 181 draft-eligible Division I centers, his usage rate ranked 161st[8](https://sportsbusinessclassroom.com/scouting-duke-center-dereck-lively-ii/). He shot 72-for-93 (77.4%) at the rim at Duke but just 2-for-13 (15.4%) on catch-and-shoot jump shots[9](https://www.si.com/nba/mavericks/news/dallas-mavs-film-study-dereck-lively-ii-draft).
## 2023 draft and rookie season
[Oklahoma City](https://www.edgepedia.org/oklahoma-city) selected Lively with the 12th pick of the 2023 draft, and Dallas acquired him in a trade with the Thunder[2](https://www.nba.com/draft/2023/prospects/dereck-lively-ii).
In his NBA debut on October 25, 2023, at [San Antonio](https://www.edgepedia.org/san-antonio), Lively posted 16 points (7-of-8 field goals), 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and 1 block in 31 minutes off the bench. He became the first Mavericks reserve to record a double-double in his NBA debut, outscored No. 1 overall pick [Victor Wembanyama](https://www.edgepedia.org/victor-wembanyama) 16-15, and outrebounded him 10-5 in the win[10](https://cdn.nba.com/teams/uploads/sites/1610612742/2025/09/2024-25-Dallas-Mavericks-Media-Guide-2_compressed.pdf).
He finished sixth in Rookie of the Year voting and earned All-Rookie honors[4](https://www.si.com/nba/mavericks/onsi/news/comparing-dereck-lively-ii-against-2023-nba-draft-class-dallas-mavericks) • [3](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/l/livelde01.html). NBA.com's rookie coverage placed him third among the season's standout rookie big men, behind [Chet Holmgren](https://www.edgepedia.org/chet-holmgren) and Victor Wembanyama, and described him as a near-perfect fit with the Mavericks[11](https://www.nba.com/news/mavericks-dereck-lively-ii-strong-rookie-season).
## 2024 playoff run
Lively appeared in 21 of the Mavericks' 22 postseason games during their run to the 2024 [NBA Finals](https://www.edgepedia.org/nba-finals), averaging 7.9 points on .674 shooting, 7.4 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.0 block[1](https://www.mavs.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/2024-25-Dallas-Mavericks-Media-Guide-2.pdf). He missed one game of the Western Conference finals with a sprained neck, then returned in Game 5 against Minnesota with nine points and eight rebounds, restoring the rim-protection duo with [Daniel Gafford](https://www.edgepedia.org/daniel-gafford) that had disrupted [Rudy Gobert](https://www.edgepedia.org/rudy-gobert) and other attackers of the basket[12](https://apnews.com/article/f792c38e04c789fcc19cf7ccd34364cf).
His defense was a measurable part of the run. In the Finals, Dallas's big men set 59% of Luka Doncic's ball screens through the first three rounds[13](https://www.nba.com/news/nba-finals-film-study-how-will-celtics-defend-luka-doncic?lctg=5ed4cd31c0cd4110c421d01e&lid=ihaa5ektnhs6), and Lively made the first three-pointer of his career in Game 4[14](https://www.nba.com/mavs/livelys-growth). [The Mavericks](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-mavericks) lost the series to Boston in five games; during the Finals his mother died of cancer[15](https://www.axios.com/local/dallas/2024/06/18/dallas-mavericks-boston-celtics-nba-finals).
## Injuries and later seasons
Injuries have limited Lively since the Finals run. He missed months with a stress fracture during the 2024-25 season[16](https://www.axios.com/local/dallas/2025/04/21/mavericks-nico-harrison-luka-doncic), and an NBA injury report in March 2025 listed him as out with a right ankle stress fracture[17](https://ak-static.cms.nba.com/referee/injury/Injury-Report_2025-03-16_05PM.pdf). In December 2025 he underwent surgery on his right foot after persistent soreness and was ruled out for the remainder of the season[18](https://as.com/baloncesto/nba/los-mavericks-y-un-desastre-que-siempre-puede-ser-mayor-f202512-n/).
## Playing style
Lively is a traditional pick-and-roll big and lob target rather than a scorer. NBA.com's draft profile projected him as an easy lob target and defensive anchor with a long wingspan, mobile enough to guard some on the perimeter in switching schemes, and a willing passer[2](https://www.nba.com/draft/2023/prospects/dereck-lively-ii). His career high in the NBA is 22 points[3](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/l/livelde01.html), and his nickname is "D-Live"[3](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/l/livelde01.html).
## References
1. [2024-25 Dallas Mavericks Media Guide](https://www.mavs.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/2024-25-Dallas-Mavericks-Media-Guide-2.pdf)
2. [NBA 2023 Draft Prospects: Dereck Lively II, NBA.com](https://www.nba.com/draft/2023/prospects/dereck-lively-ii)
3. [Dereck Lively II, Basketball-Reference.com](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/l/livelde01.html)
4. [Comparing Dereck Lively II Against the 2023 NBA Draft Class, Sports Illustrated](https://www.si.com/nba/mavericks/onsi/news/comparing-dereck-lively-ii-against-2023-nba-draft-class-dallas-mavericks)
5. [FACES | MILITARY | NBA DRAFT, Stars and Stripes](https://epub.stripes.com/docs/MID_MID_220623/MID_MID_220623.pdf)
6. [Duke Game Notes, March 2023](https://goduke.com/documents/download/2023/3/7/ACCT_Qtrs__3-9-23_.pdf)
7. [2023 NBA Draft: Evaluating Duke's Dereck Lively II, Sports Illustrated](https://www.si.com/nba/draft/newsfeed/2023-nba-draft-evaluating-dukes-dereck-lively-ii)
8. [Scouting Duke Center Dereck Lively II, Sports Business Classroom](https://sportsbusinessclassroom.com/scouting-duke-center-dereck-lively-ii/)
9. [Mavs Film Study: Dereck Lively II Brings Major Upside as Defensive Anchor & Finisher, Sports Illustrated](https://www.si.com/nba/mavericks/news/dallas-mavs-film-study-dereck-lively-ii-draft)
10. [Dereck Lively II, 2024-25 Dallas Mavericks Media Guide (NBA.com CDN)](https://cdn.nba.com/teams/uploads/sites/1610612742/2025/09/2024-25-Dallas-Mavericks-Media-Guide-2_compressed.pdf)
11. [Mavs learning just how important Dereck Lively II is to their success, NBA.com](https://www.nba.com/news/mavericks-dereck-lively-ii-strong-rookie-season)
12. [Doncic's 36 points spur Mavericks to NBA Finals, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/f792c38e04c789fcc19cf7ccd34364cf)
13. [NBA Finals Film Study: How will the Celtics defend Luka Doncic?, NBA.com](https://www.nba.com/news/nba-finals-film-study-how-will-celtics-defend-luka-doncic?lctg=5ed4cd31c0cd4110c421d01e&lid=ihaa5ektnhs6)
14. [Celtics' Horford offers glimpse of what Mavericks' Lively can become, NBA.com](https://www.nba.com/mavs/livelys-growth)
15. [Mavericks fall to Boston in the NBA Finals, Axios Dallas](https://www.axios.com/local/dallas/2024/06/18/dallas-mavericks-boston-celtics-nba-finals)
16. [Mavericks GM Harrison defends Dončić trade, Axios Dallas](https://www.axios.com/local/dallas/2025/04/21/mavericks-nico-harrison-luka-doncic)
17. [NBA Injury Report, March 16, 2025](https://ak-static.cms.nba.com/referee/injury/Injury-Report_2025-03-16_05PM.pdf)
18. [Los Mavericks y un desastre que siempre puede ser mayor, AS.com](https://as.com/baloncesto/nba/los-mavericks-y-un-desastre-que-siempre-puede-ser-mayor-f202512-n/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Basketball and court team sports › Basketball players and coaches (biographies) › Current NBA players › Centers*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 20, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 20, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 11, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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