This might be throwing up a shot in the dark, but hey, this Luka Doncic trade arguably turned the NBA into bizarro world.
Anything can happen now. I refuse to believe anyone is off-limits… well, maybe outside of Wemby, SGA, and Jokic.
And for Dallas, this game-changing trade might just be the first of many key roster decisions in the works, courtesy of basketball’s now most notorious GM, Nico Harrison.
You see, Harrison got his defensive-minded force in Anthony Davis, and the Mavericks can surround him with competent centers in a frontcourt pairing—but there’s a catch.
I’ve always liked Daniel Gafford as a player, and I think he’ll pair fine with AD, but what about young stud Dereck Lively II?
Lively’s rookie campaign was marred by some injury setbacks, only appearing in 55 games. Nevertheless, Lively was still named to the 2023-24 All-Rookie Second Team, proving to be an important piece in Dallas’ 2024 NBA Finals run. Even with Gafford added at the deadline, Lively looked like the long-term option at the five spot to complement a Luka-Kyrie guard tandem.
Well, it’s not the Luka show in the Big D anymore, and Lively might not be safe in Dallas, either.
Dereck Lively's future with Mavericks uncertain after Luka Doncic trade?
Unfortunately for the talented Lively, his sophomore season would encounter further setbacks, recently being shut down for an extended period with a "right foot stress fracture."
It’s clear Nico Harrison has a vision for this team that sees a Larry O’Brien trophy in its immediate future, and with Lively’s injury concerns, he could get swapped for a big who can help Dallas fast-track those title hopes.
ESPN's Tim Bontemps would further add to the theories of Lively's Mavericks tenure being in question, as he mentioned in an article published on February 2:
"It also makes one wonder about whether Dereck Lively could be a possible option in trades this week. Not only does Dallas have Daniel Gafford to play alongside Davis, but Lively is out for months with a foot injury. He might not be able to play again this season and could be a valuable trade chip to strengthen the roster."Tim Bontemps, February 2, 2025
Enter the Toronto Raptors.
Thankfully for Raptors fans, they’re not going through a whirlwind of emotions akin to the Mavericks fanbase, but a mixed bag nonetheless.
The team is slowly churning out a string of strong victories, winning eight of their last ten games. Despite initial beliefs that Toronto was fully indulged in a tank, it seems their fortunes are quickly turning around (whether fans see it as for better or for worse).
But winning in the interim is not the end goal for Toronto. As Masai Ujiri once put it: “Play-in for what?”
So, let's get hasty. If you’re the Toronto Raptors, why not inquire about a potential trade for Dereck Lively II?
Dereck Lively II fits the bill for the Raptors' future center solution
It would likely cost the Raptors their starting big man out of Austria, Jakob Poeltl, but this is exactly the type of deal where you call it on Poeltl’s otherwise long-term fit. Poeltl has been great, but he’d be in a better position over in Dallas, while Toronto finally earns a young five-man who can last as the Raptors’ center for the entirety of this rebuild and into their eventual playoff return.
I just wrote a piece not that long ago with the title “Pondering a Poeltl trade,” where I concluded it’d take a young player with upside or some form of valuable draft capital. As far as realistic young players on the table go, it doesn’t get any more interesting than Dereck Lively II.
You can trade Poeltl away without having to worry about losing that key role; it’s immediately filled by Lively, and he gives you additional years of value at just 20 years old.
Of course, the injury concerns are a bit of a red flag, but I wouldn’t overreact to it just yet. And even still, it might be worth taking a chance nonetheless, because there's enough substance to suggest Lively can be a game-changer for Toronto.
Right now, it might just be fiddling around with a confusing world of NBA what-ifs, but there might be something brewing here. It might be a bit tough to get financially, given Lively’s rookie-scale deal, but I wouldn’t put it past Masai Ujiri to get a transaction for the ex-Duke product done.