Dallas Mavericks Center Dereck Lively II recently rose in the NBA Sixth Man of the Year odds. Lively II, 20, is a key player in Dallas, despite the Mavericks starting the 2024-25 NBA season with a rather underwhelming 4-3 record at the time of writing.
Mavericks Head Coach Jason Kidd eventually decided to start Daniel Gafford after toying with the possibility of starting Lively II. Lively II is currently out with a right shoulder sprain. But, when he’s healthy, he can consistently come off the Mavericks’ bench. Here’s what you need to know about his recent rise in the odds.
Dereck Lively II Rises In Odds
Dereck Lively II is currently dealing with a not-so-serious injury, but when healthy, he can change the Dallas Mavericks’ fortunes. The Mavericks have gotten off to slow starts in almost all of the games this season, forcing the team to play from behind more often.
According to FanDuel, Dereck Lively II holds the seventh-highest odds at +2000 to win the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award, trailing Payton Pritchard at +400, Buddy Hield at +700, Malik Monk at +800, Bennedict Mathurin at +900, Naz Reid at +1000, and Tre Mann at +1300. If Lively II continues to come off the Mavericks’ bench, he’ll likely rise in the odds.
Lively II at Center
Dereck Lively II at center can help the Dallas Mavericks in the short and long run. Lively II’s rather unexpected injury put the Mavericks in a tough spot, as the team’s injury list has been growing, and losing a key player makes matters worse.
However, Dereck Lively II wasn’t the only Dallas Maverick listed in FanDuel’s NBA Sixth Man of the Year odds. Dallas Mavericks Shooting Guard Jaden Hardy appeared further down FanDuel’s odds at +9500. Hardy agreed to a three-year, $18 million contract extension with the Mavericks on October 21, 2024.
Dallas Mavericks’ Last Win
The Dallas Mavericks’ last win in the NBA Sixth Man of the Year race was in 2009 when Jason Terry, a former NBA guard and current assistant coach for the Utah Jazz, won the award. So, if Dereck Lively II wins the award after this season, Dallas will buck at least a few trends. This award is usually awarded to the best shot creator in the NBA, such as Lou Williams, Jamal Crawford, etc.
It’s important to note that if the Mavericks promote Lively II to the starting lineup sooner rather than later, Jaden Hardy or Small Forward Naji Marshall might be the Mavericks’ best bet to win the award. But, for now, Dallas doesn’t appear to be extremely concerned about Lively II’s long-term health. Lively II could return to the basketball court in less time than expected. Lively II underwent an MRI on Tuesday, but the Mavericks haven’t disclosed the imagery results to the general public yet, which could be a concern — or not — for the basketball world.
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