The Dallas Mavericks were bogged down by injuries for the majority of the 2025-26 NBA season. Star point guard Kyrie Irving sat out the year as he continued to recover from a torn ACL, while Anthony Davis only played in 20 games before the Mavericks traded him to the Washington Wizards. Outside of that, a plethora of other players missed a decent chunk of time. That includes promising center Dereck Lively II. A former lottery pick, Lively II has been limited to just 43 appearances over the last two years, including just seven outings this past season. A stress fracture in his right ankle derailed Lively II's 2024-25 season. He missed nearly three months, returning down the stretch to play in four of the Mavericks' final six games of the year. Lively II underwent surgery on his ankle, but the issues persisted. Back in December, Lively II had a third procedure on his foot, with the franchise ruling him out for the year.…