We are officially at the six-week mark from the NBA Draft, and this weekend will be one of the biggest hinge points of the entire offseason. After the draft lottery, teams will be able to shape their boards and start the wheeling and dealing that is sure to come. Before that is decided on Sunday, we decided to run one final pre-lottery mock draft for your Dallas Mavericks. Here’s how it went.
1. Atlanta Hawks (via NOP) – Darryn Peterson (G, Kansas)
Yes, this is indeed the pick that the Mavericks lost via coinflip. Yes, if this were to happen, I would turn
into the Joker. Peterson immediately injects some juice into a guard room that desperately needs some revitalization.
2. Washington Wizards – AJ Dybantsa (F, BYU)
Even dropping to second, the Wizards are able to select a player who is at the top of many draft boards. AJ is the type of volume scorer that will help deliver Washington some juice next to Trae Young and Anthony Davis.
3. Indiana Pacers – Cam Boozer (F, Duke)
Indiana gets to land the player they were after all along at third overall. Boozer is the type of high floor player that Indiana would covet on a team that is looking to win immediately.
4. Golden State Warriors – Caleb Wilson (F, North Carolina)
Let the conspiracy theories begin! If the Dubs were to jump here, drafting Wilson is like drafting a Draymond Green starter pack, just way more wholesome and a much better athlete.
5. Brooklyn Nets – Keaton Wagler (G, Illinois)
After drafting five (!!!) players in the first-round last year, the Nets still have no one worth building around. Enter Wagler, who is the best lead guard in the class. Head coach Jordi Fernandez should have a great time working with him.
6. Utah Jazz – Mikel Brown Jr. (G, Louisville)
This was either going to be Brown Jr. or Flemings, but we’re going to give them Mikel here due to some real upside that is available here. Brown Jr. could easily be one of the three or four best players in the class if he medically clears, with a special combination of size and skill.
7. Sacramento Kings – Darius Acuff (G, Arkansas)
I get the sense that Acuff is at the top of the Kings board regardless, so landing him at seven is just some extra value on the pick.
8. Memphis Grizzlies – Kingston Flemings (G, Houston)
If there’s a team here that could do something funky, it’s Memphis, whose front office is known to be a bit different in their process. However, Flemings is too good to pass up in our opinion.
From here on through pick 18, be on trade alert. Most of these teams have multiple first round picks, and many of them do not necessarily need to take two players. The wheeling and dealing should start here.
9. Dallas Mavericks – Labaron Philon (G, Alabama)
Falling outside the top eight is a real disappointment for the Mavericks, as there is a pretty good tier drop from Flemings to whoever is next. Philon played in a pro-style system at Alabama, so he is very familiar with the pace and space game. However, if this were to happen, I’d be trying to trade back a few spots and pick up an asset, as Philon should still be available later in the lottery.
10. Chicago Bulls – Aday Mara (C, Michigan)
If anyone can crack the top eight here, I think it could be Mara. Mara is a force on the interior, deterring shots and drives in a way that no one else could in college. He also has a nice touch and great playmaking chops offensively, which will help drive his value.
11. Milwaukee Bucks – Brayden Burries (G, Arizona)
Burries is such a solid option for a Bucks team that will look to stabilize itself under Taylor Jenkins. This is a player who shot 56% on two’s, nearly 40% from deep and was an unbelievable rebounder for a guard. Burries will be in play for Dallas as well.
12. OKC Thunder (via LAC) – Yaxel Lendeborg (F, Michigan)
The Thunder don’t necessarily have a huge need as of yet, but if you peek around the corner you can see the potential roster turnover coming. OKC will likely not pay Isaiah Hartenstein and Lu Dort, and drafting Yaxel will immediately provide them a replacement option.
13. Miami Heat – Dailyn Swain (F, Texas)
There are many needs for this Heat team, but finding serviceable forward play should be towards the top of the list. Swain is an excellent slasher who showed some shot making upside at Texas.
14. Charlotte Hornets – Jayden Quaintance (C, Kentucky)
If healthy, JQ is one of the best prospects in this class. Landing in Charlotte with a medical staff that has been able to get LaMelo Ball healthy would be a big win for Quaintance, who played just four games this year.
15. Chicago Bulls (via POR) – Nate Ament (F, Tennessee)
After landing Mara earlier, the Bulls continue to bolster their front court by taking a big swing on Ament. Prior to the season, Ament was a top five talent. That’s still in there somewhere, it’ll just be up to the Bulls to get it out of him.
16. Memphis Grizzlies (via PHX) – Allen Graves (F, Santa Clara)
Graves is an advanced stats demon, making him a likely favorite among a very analytical Grizzlies front office. The sweet shooting big would be a great get for Memphis.
17. OKC Thunder (via PHI) – Cam Carr (G/F, Baylor)
If we drafted Hartenstein’s replacement with Yaxel, this is Lu Dort’s replacement. Carr is a very good offensive player with solid defensive chops. He’ll get groomed nicely in OKC.
18. Charlotte Hornets (via ORL) – Bennett Stirtz (G, Iowa)
Charlotte could use a steady hand both with and behind LaMelo Ball, and Stirtz would be that. He is a floor general with some additional self-creation pop. Stirtz was excellent at the rim, shooting 72% in the restricted area this season.
19. Toronto Raptors – Hannes Steinbach (F/C, Washington)
After pushing Cleveland to seven games, the Raptors can examine where they need to go from here. The fatal flaw in that series, beyond injuries to Ingram and Quickley, was the center spot. Collin Murray-Boyles was awesome, but they had nothing beyond him. Steinbach would immediately provide help on the glass and some offensive pop.
20. San Antonio Spurs (via ATL) – Morez Johnson Jr. (F, Michigan)
This was either going to be Morez or Karim Lopez, but we will give the Spurs a Michigan man. Johnson was excellent for the Wolverines, playing alongside Aday Mara and Yaxel Lendeborg. He’ll use that to play alongside Wembanyama, which would create a truly terrifying front court.
21. Detroit Pistons (via MIN) – Ebuka Okorie (G, Stanford)
Okorie has been a favorite of draft twitter for a while now. He is a bit small at 6’2”, but the man is an absolute microwave. This added pop would help Cade Cunningham in a major way, allowing another creator on the floor that has to be respected. Detroit is also uniquely created to cover for a small guard with their defensive structure.
22. Philadelphia 76ers (via HOU) – Karim Lopez (F, Mexico/New Zealand Breakers)
The Sixers are able to take a guy at 22 who has lottery potential. That’s good value for a team that desperately needs help on the wing.
23. Atlanta Hawks (via Cleveland) – Chris Cenac Jr. (F, Houston)
After selecting Darryn Peterson first overall, Atlanta gets to bolster their front court with a tenacious rebounder in Cenac. A lineup that includes Jalen Johnson, Cenac and Onyeka Okongwu is awfully scary!
24. New York Knicks – Meleek Thomas (G, Arkansas)
The Knicks guard room is truly terrible, so taking Thomas here is a good get. Playing next to Acuff, he’s already shown he can play nicely off of a small guard. He can use that to play off of Brunson.
25. Los Angeles Lakers – Tarris Reed Jr. (C, UConn)
The Lakers desperately need athleticism, which Tarris can certainly provide. This is a very smart player that has already played in a pro system with Hurley.
26. Denver Nuggets – Koa Peat (F, Arizona)
So, you’re scared by Aaron Gordon not being able to play in games that matter? Well, why not draft the closest thing to him in Peat. Koa is an unreal athlete that just needs to hone his skill a bit, and playing next to Jokic while learning from AG is a good start in doing that.
27. Boston Celtics – Luigi Suigo (C, Spain/Mega Superbet)
Boston needs a big and are just arrogant enough to reach on Luigi, who is a 7’4” mountain of a man. If he doesn’t go pro, expect to see him in college next year.
28. Minnesota Timberwolves (via DET) – Tyler Tanner (G, Vanderbilt)
Tanner is one of my favorite players in the class. While sitting at just 6’0” tall, Tanner is a great on-ball initiator who has no issues creating for others or getting his own buckets. Minnesota has a glaring guard need, and this helps fix that.
29. Cleveland Cavaliers (via SAS) – Tounde Yessoufou (F, Baylor)
Cleveland is a confounding situation, as the Harden and Mitchell duo finds itself down 0-2 to Detroit. We’ll give them Tounde, who is a great defender that has untapped potential on the offensive end.
30. Dallas Mavericks (via OKC) – Isaiah Evans (G, Duke)
A sophomore that has experience playing with Cooper Flagg already, Evans would provide instant spacing to a rotation that desperately needs it.
