Why Dereck Lively II Has Every Tool to Become an Elite Modern NBA Center | NBA Center Rankings

The Dallas Mavericks enter a pivotal season as Dereck Lively II tries to prove he belongs among the NBA's best centers. Cooper Flagg's rise, Kyrie Irving's return, and a wide-open center landscape across the NBA all shape what's ahead for the Mavs' frontcourt.

2026 Mavs Fan SURVEY: forms.gle/HZgcNMMhLS6HkeYQ8

Nick Angstadt and Isaac Harris rank every starting center in the NBA, from Victor Wembanyama and Nikola Jokic at the top down to where Dereck Lively II lands entering a make-or-break year. They dig into Lively's injury history, his mentorship under Tyson Chandler, and why a healthy version of him could reshape the Mavs' frontcourt alongside Cooper Flagg. Along the way, they debate Myles Turner, Karl-Anthony Towns, Ivica Zubac, Domantas Sabonis and more of the league's top bigs, all while weighing what it means for Kyrie Irving, the Mavericks, and the NBA heading into the new season.

0:00 Dereck Lively II's Make-Or-Break Year
7:10 Top Five Centers Revealed
12:04 Rank 6 Through 15 Breakdown
18:41 The Myles Turner Debate
24:42 Bottom Tier And Lively's Ceiling

📸 PHOTO: IMAGN-Images

TEXT LINE: Support the show and get texts on every Mavs Rumor, News, Game Previews, Discord Access, Q&As, & More…
📲 joinsubtext.com/lockedonmavs
📲 TEXT: 214-643-8637

Follow &
🎧 lockedonpodcasts.com/podcasts/locked-on-mavericks

🎧 Apple buff.ly/2nE23zM
🎧 Spotify buff.ly/2D9kZgK
🎧 YouTube Music buff.ly/3LCb3gh
🎧 Overcast buff.ly/34r6SOi
🎧 Castbox buff.ly/4bAM0EL
🎧 Audible buff.ly/3SjqZZm

Locked On NBA League-Wide: Every Team, Fantasy, Draft, WNBA & More
🎧 lockedonpodcasts.com/leagues/nba

📲 Follow Locked On Mavs on Twitter - twitter.com/LockedOnMavs
📲 Follow Locked On Mavs on Instagram - instagram.com/lockedonmavs
📲 Follow Locked On Mavs on TikTok - tiktok.com/@lockedonmavericks

📲 Isaac Harris Twitter twitter.com/IsaacLHarris
📲 Isaac Harris Instagram instagram.com/isaaclharris
📲 Nick Angstadt Twitter twitter.com/NickVanExit
📲 Nick Angstadt TikTok tiktok.com/@nickvanexit
📲 Nick Angstadt Instagram instagram.com/nickvanexit

📢 Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! | Offers from our sponsors: lockedonpodcasts.com/offers

Indeed
Listeners of this show get a $75 Sponsored Job Credit to help give your job the premium placement it deserves at indeed.com/podcast.

Square
Get up to $200 off Square hardware when you sign up at square.com/go/NBA ! #squarepod

FanDuel
College football Saturdays are already packed with reasons to get excited, and this season, FanDuel is giving fans even more ways to get in on every matchup. Join all the action at fanduel.com

FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)