The back end of the 2026 NBA Draft is going to be quite the adventure for the league, including the Dallas Mavericks. The conglomerate of players who could go between picks 15 and 45 is truly fascinating. One of the players who seems to firmly fit in that range is Iowa State forward Joshua Jefferson.
The basics
Joshua Jefferson (born November 21, 2003) was born and raised in Henderson, NV, just outside of Las Vegas. His father, Ben Jefferson, played football for the University of Maryland. As an offensive lineman,
he went undrafted in the 1989 NFL Draft. Jefferson spent a few years bouncing around the NFL before eventually retiring in 1995. Joshua’s two brothers also played college football. Noah Jefferson played at USC and Florida Atlantic, while his other brother Cameron played for UNLV and Arkansas.
Choosing basketball was a good decision for Joshua, as he was the Southern Nevada Boys Athlete of the Year in 2022, as well as the MaxPreps Player of the Year. Jefferson helped lead his Liberty Patriots to their first ever state championship in 2022, defeating powerhouse Bishop Gorman 63-62 in overtime. Jefferson scored the last six points of regulation to force overtime. The win ended Gorman’s run of nine consecutive state championships in class 5A.
Jefferson spent a full four-year term in college, starting off at Saint Mary’s. Jefferson was a productive player for the Gaels, including averaging 10 points and nearly seven rebounds per game in 2023-24. However, after a season-ending leg injury, Jefferson decided to hit the transfer portal, where he signed with TJ Otzelberger and the Iowa State Cyclones. Jefferson blossomed as a player in Ames, as he averaged 17 points, over 7.5 boards and nearly five assists per contest. With his eligibility exhausted, Jefferson is off to the NBA draft.
The good
When you talk about unique players, Joshua Jefferson truly has a unique offensive game. There are very few forwards in college basketball who have the blend of scoring and passing skill that Jefferson does.
Jefferson was such an integral part of the Cyclones offensive attack, as without him on the floor, the lack of creation was evident. Tamin Lipsey did a nice job of running the show at point, but the real sauce that made Iowa State go was Jefferson’s ability to be a hub from inside the arc. When he was operating at the nail and attacking downhill, Iowa State was at its best.
The unique trait that teams hope they can maximize is the passing. Jefferson is without a doubt the best passer in this class of forwards. The vision is excellent, and the craftiness and creativity to find the correct windows is exceptional. He can use both his right and left hand to get the ball to teammates on time and on target. In an NBA setting, allowing him to play in the short roll in advantage situations will be elite offense.
Jefferson does not have the athletic gift of speed or agility, but he is able to get to the rim and finish using a combination of size, feel and footwork. He goes to a little hook shot quite a bit, typically over his left shoulder but he is comfortable taking and making them with both hands. He’s not really ever going to be a “dump it down to him on the block” type, but if given the space to operate, he handles it well enough to get to where he wants to go.
Areas of concern
Jefferson shot it fine from three, as he’s been right around 35% from deep for the better part of three years now. However, he doesn’t always look willing to shoot them. For him to reach his potential in the NBA, having the three as a counter he believes in would go a long way.
Against top-of-the-line teams, Jefferson saw a bit of a drop in both efficiency and effectiveness. Some of that is to be expected, as the better teams figure to guard a bit better, but it was something to note. In fairness to him, teams LOADED up on him in conference play, daring anyone not named Milan Momcilovic to beat them from deep. Still, it’s worth noting.
Jefferson, as expected, tested like an average-to-slightly-below-average type of athlete at his position during the NBA Combine. In fairness to him, he’s coming off a tough ankle sprain he suffered in the NCAA Tournament, so perhaps he even tested worse due to that. Jefferson is not a slob or anything, he’s what I would consider passable as an athlete. He leverages his smarts and technique help him on the defensive end to compliment the size and movement skills he does have. But it isn’t a stretch to say that there will be some matchups that are tough for him to cover.
Fit with the Mavericks
There’d have to be some reshuffling of the forward room to make this fit. Namely, PJ Washington and Naji Marshall, two guys who figure to be featured heavily in trade discussions, would likely need to be moved to allow for a cheaper, cost controlled Jefferson. That said, if the front office is able to accomplish that, I think Joshua Jefferson would be a fantastic fit around Cooper Flagg and whoever they draft to compliment Kyrie Irving in the guard room. His IQ and playstyle would be a great ying to Cooper’s yang. Even if it requires moving on from a vet and moving up from pick 30, the Mavericks should try and pull it off.
NBA comparison
There’s some Collin Murray-Boyles here with Jefferson, which is ironic since Jefferson is the older player here. There’s a bit of extra seasoning to Jefferson’s game, largely seen in the passing and craft. Another good comparison is Kenrich Williams. Kenny Hustle was able to carve a career out for himself coming out of TCU, and Jefferson should be able to do the same, especially if the shot falls for him like it has for Williams at various times throughout his career. I think there’s real room for him to overachieve those if he hits his peak outcome.
