Williams made some postgame comments that

Dereck Lively II, a rookie with the Dallas Mavericks, discussed his opinion on some dubious remarks made by his former teammate Grant Williams after the trade deadline. This was during All-Star Weekend.

During this year’s trade deadline, the Dallas Mavericks completed two significant trades: they sent Daniel Gafford to the Washington Wizards in exchange for Richaun Holmes and a selection, and they sent P.J. Washington to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for Grant Williams, Seth Curry, and a pick.

Fans of the Mavs were taken aback by Williams’ postgame remarks after the Hornets emerged victorious in their first game after the deal, as it seemed that he was subtly mocking Luka Doncic or the Mavs as a whole.

Playing for the shirt that’s over your chest rather than across your back and winning a game for the city is fantastic, according to Williams. “We were a team that never played together, but we trusted one another, and everyone seemed to have each other’s backs when they touched the ball.”

This weekend, Dereck Lively II is in Indianapolis. On Friday night, he was outstanding as his team won the Rising Stars Challenge. When questioned about the remarks made by his former teammate, Lively questioned how anybody could believe that players like Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic, two of the greatest in the world, are being selfish.

“Just going out there — why would I want to shoot a 3 if I give the ball to Luka and Kai, then they’re going to knock down a step-back 3 or a side-step 3,” Lively said. “Playing basketball is all it takes to get athletes like that. Instead of going out and concentrating on the name on the back of your shirt, pay attention to the name on the front.”

Dallas seems to have more sustainability given its overall talent level, even if both the Mavs and the Hornets are 3-0 after completing their trade deadline moves. According to Lively, the Mavs are now a “dark horse” chance for the championship, and if they can go far in the playoffs, Williams’ remarks won’t even cross people’s minds.