DALLAS — The Mavs got their big man.
The Dallas Mavericks selected Duke's Dereck Lively II with the No. 12 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft after reportedly trading their 10th pick and Davis Bertans to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Mavs confirmed the deal is in place, but said it has not yet been finalized.
The trade allowed the Mavs to shed Bertans' contract from the books. He was set to earn $17 million this 2023-2024 season. This past season, Bertans played in 45 games for Dallas and averaged 4.6 points.
Dallas chose Cason Wallace out of Kentucky in the No. 10 spot, but Wallace was headed for Oklahoma City.
Who is Dereck Lively II
Lively was a five-star recruit out of Pennsylvania and played one year at Duke University. The 7-foot-1 center averaged 5.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.4 blocks in 20.6 minutes during his sole season in college.
He was also named to the ACC All-Freshman Team and ACC All-Defensive Team.
According to his draft profile on NBA.com, Lively could be seen as an "easy lob target" who could play a key role in the pick-and-roll game.
With a willing passer like Luka Doncic -- and potentially Kyrie Irving if he re-signs -- Lively could find a role under center for Dallas.
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