Dallas Mavericks center Dereck Lively II has been named to the Rising Stars tournament pool for the second straight season, set to take place on February 14 during NBA All-Star Weekend in San Francisco. Although he participated last year, Lively will not take part this season due to a right ankle stress fracture that will sideline him for at least a month.
This season, Lively has averaged 9.1 points and 7.8 rebounds while shooting an impressive 70.1%. He has already missed 15 games due to injury, adding to the 27 games he missed in his rookie season. The Mavericks' success this season has been closely tied to his availability, recording a 19-13 record when he plays.
Drafted 12th overall in 2023, Lively was acquired by the Mavericks from Oklahoma City, trading away Cason Wallace and Davis Bertans. The Rising Stars tournament format was revamped in 2022 to include top G League players alongside NBA's best rookies and sophomores. Lively joins the ranks of Mavericks greats who have previously participated in the event, including Luka Doncic, Dirk Nowitzki, and Dennis Smith Jr.
