Dereck Lively II had a very impressive rookie season for the Dallas Mavericks, proving to be a strong 12th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft but also playing a crucial role in the club reaching the NBA Finals for the first time since 2011.
Although the Mavericks ultimately fell in the NBA Finals, losing to the Boston Celtics in five games, they found a gem in Lively, as he will play a huge role in Dallas for years to come. He has proven to contribute to winning basketball as a defensive anchor and vertical threat in an offense that has plenty of scoring potential with Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic. Adding Klay Thompson to the mix will make Lively take an even bigger leap in his second year.
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Now, Lively could be a good candidate to represent the U.S. team at the 2028 Olympics, provided he continues to play basketball at a high level in Dallas and develop his game. The U.S. team recently brought home gold medals from Paris, France, when they defeated France in a close game.
The 2028 Olympics will be held in Los Angeles, California, and the U.S. team will have home advantage, as France did at the last tournament. It could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to represent his country while completing Lively’s star-studded roster.
It is likely that players like Devin Booker, Tyrese Haliburton, Anthony Edwards, Jayson Tatum and Bam Adebayo will return to the team in peak form. They each helped the country to a gold medal at the last Olympics, so they will likely be the first to be selected to return to the program.
To build a roster around that core, Team USA could add a center or two. As has been proven, a mix of superstar talent and complementary players is needed to make the roster work. Adebayo, Jrue Holiday and Derrick White are examples of players who have excelled in their roles.
Lively could be just that for Team USA – a defensive anchor and potential spacer who could shine in his role as a substitute and fit into any roster as a plug-and-play center, provided he has enough perimeter scoring potential to create easy opportunities.
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