MAVS NEWS:

[F Gump]

Maybe a Zion-like contract that’s predicated on games played?

The Zion contract clause was eye-catching and supposedly clever, yet for NO it proved essentially worthless. Mavs doing something similar would be just as stupid. In Zion's deal, it required NO to waive him (which they could not afford talent-wise) to give any penalty for his missing games. Zion has been the same player all the way, still missing games all the time, yet NO has ended up paying him 100% of that max deal. 

With Lively, at some point the Mavs have to be decisive, one way or the other, about what Lively's future will be, and then act accordingly. Playing what-if games won't get them anywhere. 

So I don't see any chance for a contract done this summer. The Mavs can't smartly offer him a big enough number that he will sign. They will have to either decide to trade him (but his trade value is probably quite low) or wait a year and see how reliable he is, before then doing a deal or moving on. I think we will see them kick the can down the road, and try to get value from him this year and see how it goes.