Report: Mavs' Lively expected to miss 2-3 months due to foot fracture

Dallas Mavericks big man Dereck Lively II is expected to miss two-to-three months after sustaining a small fracture in his foot, ESPN's Shams Charania reported Wednesday.

Lively exited Dallas' 118-99 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Jan. 14 with an ankle sprain. He has been unavailable for its three subsequent games.

The 20-year-old has been vital to the Mavericks in his second NBA season, averaging 9.1 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game, all career bests. He has also cemented his place in the starting lineup, appearing with the first unit in 25 of his 32 contests.

The Mavericks are 4-7 this campaign without the Duke product.

Dallas has been hit hard by the injury bug as of late. Star guard Luka Doncic has been out since Dec. 25 with a calf injury while his backcourt mate, Kyrie Irving, has been available for only 33 games as he has dealt with a lingering back problem. The projected starting lineup heading into the season of Doncic, Irving, Lively, Klay Thompson, and P.J. Washington has played only 119 minutes together across 14 games. Dallas is just 3-6 in 2025.

The 2024 NBA finalists sit seventh in the West and are scheduled to host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night.