Mavericks' Dereck Lively: Selected No. 12, traded to Dallas

Lively was selected by the Thunder with the 12th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft before being dealt to the Mavericks, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.

The Mavericks moved back from the 10th pick to No. 12 to select Lively, who fills a massive need as a defensive stalwart and lob threat. One of the top recruits in the 2022 high school class, Lively earned ACC All-Defensive Team honors as a freshman last season at Duke, averaging 5.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.4 blocks on 65.8 percent shooting in 20.6 minutes per game. Though his offensive game is a work in progress, Lively is expected to compete with Christian Wood and Maxi Kleber for regular minutes in the Mavs' frontcourt. Lively could follow the path of 2022 draftees Mark Williams and Walker Kessler by pushing for a starting role deeper in the regular season if he adapts well to the NBA level.