Dereck Lively IIDallas Mavericks · #2
Dereck Lively II is a 7-foot-1 Dallas Mavericks center out of Duke, drafted 12th in 2023 and traded to Dallas on draft night, who made the 2024 All-Rookie Second Team and helped Dallas reach the 2024 Finals as an athletic lob-finishing rim protector before foot injuries slowed him.
Dereck Lively II — the report card
Read his whole game at a glance, then dive into any skill. Grades from the DNA model + real production.
Where Dereck Lively II stands
Live ladders from the Balladex models, and what he's chasing. Rankings recompute nightly from real production, accolades, and search demand.
Dereck Lively II — every number, three levels deep
Headline → metric → the raw history behind it. Real career data; tracking-only metrics labeled.
How the model sees Dereck Lively II
Projection = per-minute rate × projected minutes. Rates are recency- and health-weighted, aged along a per-stat curve, and adjusted for live usage/role. No black box — every number shows its work.
Dereck Lively II career stats, season by season
| Season | GP | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | FG% | 3P% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-24 | 55 | 23.5 | 8.8 | 6.9 | 1.1 | .747 | .000 |
| 2024-25 | 36 | 23.1 | 8.7 | 7.5 | 2.4 | .702 | .000 |
| 2025-26 | 7 | 16.4 | 4.3 | 5.3 | 1.9 | .611 | .000 |
| Career | 98 | 22.8 | 8.4 | 7.0 | 1.6 |
The Lab
Every number, live and interactive. Real career data; models labeled.
Are the Dallas Mavericks built to win?
Team projection rolled up from the roster + last-season baselines — and what it means for his role.
The Ballad of Dereck Lively II
Birth to now — the making of a legend, narrated and scored.
The beginning
A 7-foot-1 shot-blocking, lob-catching center from Philadelphia, Dereck Lively II arrived in Dallas on draft night and immediately became a Finals-caliber anchor — when healthy.
Turning pro
Drafted 2023 Round 1, Pick 12 (Oklahoma City, traded to Dallas) as a Center.
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Dereck Lively II turned draft-night uncertainty into an instant Finals role as Dallas's rookie rim protector.
Chapter
A five-star Philadelphia big, he won National Player of the Year honors at Westtown before anchoring Duke's defense for a single season.
Chapter
Oklahoma City drafted him 12th in 2023 and dealt him to Dallas, where he logged a double-double in his debut and started as a rookie.
Off the court
- Height
- 7' 1"
- Weight
- 230 lbs
- College
- Duke
- Experience
- 3rd Season
- Draft
- 2023 Round 1, Pick 12 (Oklahoma City, traded to Dallas)
- Born
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Age
- 22
- Jersey
- #2
Lively's story is shaped by profound family loss handled here with care: his mother, Kathy Drysdale, a Penn State basketball standout who later worked for the 76ers, died in 2024 of Hodgkin's lymphoma; his father died in 2012. Her influence has been widely cited as central to his motivation.
He carries that legacy quietly, channeling it into a defense-first, team-oriented game rather than personal spotlight.
Grounded, defense-minded and resilient, Lively plays with a maturity forged by personal adversity.
Dereck Lively II — frequently asked
The questions people ask most about Dereck Lively II, answered.
