Lively -- who is expected to be out 2-3 months -- had missed three games with what was listed as an ankle sprain

The Dallas Mavericks say center Dereck Lively II has a stress fracture in his right ankle and will be re-evaluated in a month.

The Dallas Morning News spoke to Kenneth Jung, a foot and ankle surgeon at Cedars-Sinai Orthopedics in Los Angeles, to gain insight into Lively’s stress fracture, treatment and recovery timetable. Jung’s education includes a 2005 fellowship in foot and ankle surgery at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas.

Dallas Mavericks center Dereck Lively II has sustained a small fracture in his foot and is expected to miss 2-to-3 months, sources tell ESPN. Critical loss for the Mavs. pic.twitter.com/XJje4eZQsY

Dallas Mavericks big man Dereck Lively II is keeping an optimistic outlook after his recent tough injury update.

The loss of Lively for an extended period of time is a brutal blow for a Mavericks team dealing with numerous injuries.

Mavericks center Dereck Lively II has suffered a stress fracture in his right ankle and will be reevaluated in four weeks, the team announced Wednesday. ESPN reported that Lively is expected to miss two to three months. A Philadelphia native, the 7-foot-1 Lively starred in high school at the Westtown School.

Eight players are on the injury report for the Mavericks' game against the Timberwolves, including Klay Thompson and Dereck Lively II.

Dallas Mavericks second-year star center Dereck Lively II will miss the next 2-3 months after sustaining a small fracture in his foot, according to a report from ESPN's Shams Charania. Lively, who has been out of the lineup since Jan.