What changed
The Mavericks let Monday’s 5 p.m. Central deadline pass without signing Dereck Lively II or Marcus Sasser to rookie-scale extensions.
Both players will finish 2026-27 on the fourth and final season of their rookie contracts. Dallas can preserve matching rights next summer by giving either player a qualifying offer, which would make him a restricted free agent.
The absence of a deal does not establish how Dallas values either player. Lively is still working back from right-foot surgery, while Sasser only returned from left-adductor tightness in the preseason finale.
What changes is the timing of the decision. Instead of fixing a new salary now, Dallas gets a season of additional evidence and both players get the chance to shape their next contracts on the floor.
OUR INTERPRETATION
Why Dallas fans care
Interpretation: Waiting shifts risk in both directions. Dallas avoids committing before it has more health and role information, but a strong season could raise the eventual price. The qualifying-offer route keeps team control without guaranteeing that next summer’s negotiation will be simple.
Updated October 20, 2026
Updated Oct. 20: the deadline passed without extensions for either Dereck Lively II or Marcus Sasser.