Dallas starting center Dereck Lively II is going to miss the remainder of this NBA season as he undergoes surgery on his right foot, the Mavericks announced Wednesday.

This is the same foot Lively had surgery on during the offseason, one he fractured last January. He reportedly sought out second and third opinions, trying to avoid surgery, but in the end, that was the best option.

Lively will have played in just seven games this season, missing the bulk of that time due to a right knee sprain. Even when he did play Lively was limited, averaging 16 minutes a night and 4.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game. Injuries have been an issue for Lively throughout his three-season NBA career, having played in just 36 games last season due to foot issues and 55 games in his rookie year.

When healthy, the 21-year-old big man out of Duke has played like a future starting five next to Cooper Flagg, in whatever the Mavericks are building long term. He was a key part of the Mavericks' 2024 run to the NBA Finals, averaging 7.9 points and 7.4 rebounds off the bench that postseason.

With Lively out, expect a lot more minutes at center for Daniel Gafford and Anthony Davis (two players mentioned in trade rumors heading toward the February deadline).