The Dallas Mavericks and center Dereck Lively II have begun talks on a rookie scale extension. Lively and Dallas have until just before the regular season to reach an agreement on an extension. If the Mavs and Lively can't come to terms, he'll be eligible for restricted free agency next July.

Due to several foot and ankle injuries, Lively has appeared in just 98 games over his first three NBA seasons. This included only seven games last season.

Despite the injuries, Lively has shown considerable promise for the Mavericks. The 7-foot-1 center has averaged 8.4 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 22.9 minutes per game for his career.