Dallas Mavericks Center Is Potential Early 2028 Team USA Olympic Candidate

The Dallas Mavericks center could be a solid addition to Team USA for the 2028 Olympics.

Jun 14, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks center Dereck Lively II (2) celebrates after making a three pointer against the Boston Celtics during game four of the 2024 NBA Finals at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports / Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports

Dereck Lively II had a very impressive rookie season for the Dallas Mavericks. He proved to be a strong pick at No. 12 in the 2023 NBA Draft, but he also played an integral role in the club reaching the NBA Finals for the first time since 2011.

While the Mavericks eventually fell short in the NBA Finals, losing in five games to the Boston Celtics, they found a gem in Lively, as he'll play a big role in Dallas for years to come. He's proven to contribute to winning basketball as a defensive anchor and vertical threat in an offense that has plenty of scoring gravity with Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic. Add Klay Thompson to the mix and Lively is set for an even bigger jump in year two.

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Now, Lively could be a good candidate to represent Team USA in the 2028 Olympics, assuming he continues to play high-level basketball in Dallas while developing his game. Team USA recently brought gold medals back from Paris, France as they got the best of France in a tight game.

In 2028, the Olympic games will be headed to Los Angeles, CA, and Team USA will have a home-court advantage, as did France in the recent tournament. It could be a unique opportunity to represent his country while filling out the star-studded roster for Lively.

It's likely players like Devin Booker, Tyrese Haliburton, Anthony Edwards, Jayson Tatum, and Bam Adebayo will each return to the team as they'll be in their prime. They each helped the country to a gold medal in the recent Olympics, so they'll likely get first picks to return to the program.

In building a roster around that core, Team USA could bring in a center or two to build the roster. As has been proven, a blend of superstar talent combined with complementary players is needed for the roster to function. Adebayo, Jrue Holiday, and Derrick White exemplify players who starred in their roles.

Lively could be just that for Team USA -- a defensive anchor and potential floor spacer who could star in his role off the bench and be a plug-and-play center to mold to any roster, assuming there is plenty of perimeter scoring gravity to help him generate easy looks.

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