CHARLOTTE — Dallas Mavericks center Dereck Lively II was initially listed as questionable for Monday's game against the Charlotte Hornets due to a right ankle sprain. He has not played since Tuesday, so the questionable designation was seemingly a promising update. Mavs head coach Jason Kidd's update, however, is far from ideal.

Kidd told reporters before the game that Lively, as well as Quentin Grimes (back spasms), Jaden Hardy (right ankle sprain), Dwight Powell (hip strain), Dante Exum (right wrist surgery) and Luka Doncic (left calf strain), will not play on Monday.

When asked if Lively is close to returning, Kidd provided a concerning update.

“I don't think so,” Kidd told reporters.

Why was Lively listed as questionable despite apparently not being close to returning? The answer is uncertain, but it adds a cloud of uncertainty over Lively's potential return. The Mavs are obviously hoping he can return sooner rather than later, but there does not seem to be a timeline at the moment.

Dereck Lively II remains out due to ankle injury

Lively suffered the injury last Tuesday in a game against the Nuggets. He has not played since Tuesday's game, but it seemed as if a return was potentially coming soon given his questionable injury designation. The situation will certainly be a situation to monitor, especially after Kidd's update.

For now, the Mavericks will focus on their game against the Hornets in Charlotte on Monday afternoon. Dallas is looking to build momentum after most recently earning an impressive 106-98 victory against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday night. Dallas is trying to play a competitive brand of basketball despite dealing with a plethora of injuries at the moment.

As for Dereck Lively II's injury status, we will continue to monitor and provide updates as they are made available moving forward.