Sources: Mavs' Dereck Lively II (foot) not cleared for camp

Dereck Lively II remains on a day‑to‑day recovery schedule after right‑foot surgery, with the earliest return date listed as October 9, 2026. The Mavericks have not cleared him for training camp, meaning he will miss the opening practices and likely the first games of the season.

Dallas sits at 26–56, twelfth in the Western Conference and twenty‑first in overall power rankings, with a net rating of –5.4. Lively’s limited production this year—4.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists on 61.1% shooting in seven games—has not been enough to lift the team, and his absence at the start will force the Mavericks to rely on other front‑court options as they try to improve a 3‑7 record over their last ten games.