Mavericks reported on the injury of Derek Lively

• Lively is expected to miss at least three games due to the injury.
• The rookie has not played in most games of the season due to injury.
• The team is anticipating the return of Entony Davis and Kairi Irving.

The center of the Dallas Mavericks, Derek Lively II, is expected to miss at least three upcoming games due to an ankle sprain and discomfort in his right knee, which the team reported in a statement.

Lively will not participate in the four-game away series that begins on Friday against the Los Angeles Lakers. They plan to reassess him in seven to ten days.

The 21-year-old rookie has played only in seven of the 19 games this season. He received a sprained ankle in the third game of the season, and during the last week, he missed two games due to what Mavericks called "managing the right ankle."

Last season, Lively missed 36 games due to a stress fracture in his right shin. In April, former general manager of the Mavericks, Nico Harrison, stated that he does not believe Lively needs surgery during the offseason, but it turned out to be inaccurate, since Lively underwent surgery to remove loose cartilage.

Now he may be left without Lively for an extended period.

Lively was selected in the draft of 2023 in the common draft with the Oklahoma City Thunder. In his debut season, he became an important player, starting in 42 games in the Mavericks playoff run.

In the past month, the team is also anticipating the return of forward Entony Davis, who is expected to miss 14 games due to a stress reaction in his left foot, as well as without defender Kairi Irving, who received an injury last month.

Tags: Sport/Basketball