Last Updated on April 17, 2026 by Mat Diekhake

Here’s the detailed information on Dereck Lively II:

Player Profile

  • Full Name: Dereck Jerome Lively II
  • Nationality: American
  • Age: Born on February 12, 2004
  • Hometown: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
  • Height: 7 feet 1 inch (216 cm)
  • Weight: 230 lbs (104 kg)
  • Wingspan: 7 feet 7 inches (231 cm)
  • Shoe Size: Size 20 (US)
  • Number: 2 (commonly worn)
  • Position: Center
  • High School:
    • Westtown School (West Chester, Pennsylvania)
  • College: Duke University (2022–2023)
  • NBA Draft: 2023 NBA Draft, 1st round, 12th overall pick by the Oklahoma City Thunder (rights traded to the Dallas Mavericks)
  • Teams Played For:
    • Dallas Mavericks (2023–present)
  • Championship Rings: None
  • Kids: None
  • Siblings: No publicly known siblings

Player Archetype / Play Style

Dereck Lively II’s player archetype is that of a rim-running defensive center, a modern big whose main value comes from protecting the basket, finishing plays efficiently, and giving lineups vertical spacing as a lob threat. Defensively, he projects best as a back-line anchor in drop coverage, using his 7-foot-1 frame, length, timing, and mobility to contest at the rim, clean the glass, and recover when actions break down. Offensively, his role is fairly clean and narrow but highly useful: he sets hard screens, dives to the basket, finishes dump-offs and alley-oops, and keeps the ball moving without needing touches called for him. Physically, Lively brings legit center size at 7-foot-1 and about 230 pounds, along with good coordination and enough agility to survive in space better than many traditional fives. Overall, his play style is built on vertical athleticism, interior defense, rebounding, and low-maintenance efficiency, which makes him the kind of center who can raise a team’s floor without dominating the offense. (NBA)

Sources:

NBA.com — Dereck Lively II | Center | Dallas Mavericks
NBA.com — NBA 2023 Draft Prospects | Dereck Lively II
NBA.com — Mavs learning just how important Dereck Lively II is to their success
NBA.com — Mavericks exercise team option on Dereck Lively II
Basketball-Reference — Dereck Lively II Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and more