Overview
- Dallas holds the No. 9 pick plus Nos. 30 and 48 and is working under new president Masai Ujiri to build around rookie Cooper Flagg.
- Karim Lopez is a leading candidate because of his New Zealand Breakers production, 6'8" barefoot height, near 7-foot wingspan and 38-inch vertical, though his 32.6% three-point shooting raises spacing concerns next to Flagg.
- Louisville guard Mikel Brown Jr. has been medically cleared and has worked out for Dallas, but many mock drafts place him ahead of No. 9 so his availability depends on the exact draft sequence.
- Ujiri’s history of drafting internationally rooted, high-upside forwards informs interest in Lopez and frames Dallas’s appetite for a raw, versatile defender who can be developed.
- The Mavericks face a choice between drafting for fit, trading to change position in the draft order, or using later picks to add shooting or guard creation depending on how the top eight selections unfold.