Getty Mark Cuban, Luka Doncic, and Kyrie Irving of the Dallas Mavericks.
With just two days remaining until the 2023 NBA Draft, the Dallas Mavericks still have yet to trade their No. 10 overall selection. In recent weeks, the team’s desire to do so has been widely reported, as they look to strengthen the roster around Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic.
In the latest edition of The Ringer’s mock draft, Kevin O’Connor detailed what Dallas may be looking for in return for their first-round pick.
“But will the Mavericks keep this pick?” O’Connor questioned. “Sources say they’re trying to move down for multiple picks or players, or out of the draft entirely.”
He added that the value for the pick “isn’t significant today [June 20, 2023].”
The notion that the Mavericks could be looking to turn one pick into multiple isn’t shocking. Brining in a few different prospects to help fill out the roster would be a calculated financial move. Rather than paying a role player anywhere from $10-20 million through free agency, or landing one in a trade, they’d have the chance to get production for cheap by drafting guys.
For example, last season Dallas was able to get solid play from both Josh Green and Jaden Hardy, who are each still on rookie contracts making a combined $6.4 million next season. If they’re able to hit on a few more draft picks it could wind up being a huge help if they want to bring in talent at the top of the roster.
‘Widely Known’ That Mavericks Want to Trade No. 10 Draft Pick
Again, the Mavericks have a strong interest in moving their 2023 first-round pick in a trade, prior to Thursday’s draft.
Yahoo Sports’ NBA Insider Jake Fischer has reported so on multiple occasions.
“Dallas is widely known to be evaluating trade possibilities with the 10th pick to bring reinforcements to Luka Doncic, as well as All-Star guard Kyrie Irving, who will become an unrestricted free agent,” he wrote on June 6.
Fischer first broke the news, shortly after Dallas’ fate was decided at the NBA Draft lottery last month.
“There are other teams rival executives are already pinning as potential trade candidates,” Fischer reported on May 18. “Dallas avoided disaster by landing its top-10 protected pick at the No. 10 spot, and the Mavericks are certainly expected to explore the market for that selection in hopes of adding to their All-Star backcourt of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, the latter of which will become an unrestricted free agent this summer.”
Mock Trade Sends John Collins, Onyeka Okongwu to Mavs No. 10 Pick to Hawks
A trade scenario pitched by Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz sees a more exciting exchange between the Mavericks and Atlanta Hawks.
Rather than trading down in the draft, Dallas would make a splash and land multiple frontcourt pieces.
Atlanta Hawks Receive: No. 10 overall pick, PF Dāvis Bertāns, C JaVale McGee
Dallas Mavericks Receive: PF John Collins, C Onyeka Okongwu
A trade like this one may represent some of the best value that the Mavs could garner for No. 10. Their roster starving for frontcourt help. So much so that Jason Kidd was forced to use a carousel of middling big men last season and it just didn’t work.
