Could Ben Saraf fit the mold Mavericks want in 2025 NBA Draft?

The Dallas Mavericks are in a tough position after a controversial trade that sent superstar Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for an injury-prone Anthony Davis, a deal that has been widely scrutinized and ultimately panned by most basketball media and fans. The Mavs do have a first-round draft pick this year, but considering the amount of holes they now have in their roster, what would be the place to start trying to rebuild?

One option would be trying to add another guard, as Dallas got no dynamic playmakers or ball-handling lead initiators in the swap with the Lakers. While they will not be able to replace the production of Doncic, they may be able to find some ball handling and passing out of one of the prospects in this class.

Assuming the Mavericks pick inside the top 10, as it is currently trending given the loss of Doncic and injuries to the newly acquired Anthony Davis (out several weeks with an adductor strain) and starting center Dereck Lively II (foot fracture, two or more months), they could have any of the following possible options on the table.

For the sake of the article, let's say Dallas is picking 8-10 overall. This means players like Dylan Harper (Rutgers), Kasapras Jakucionis (Illinois), and VJ Edgecombe (Baylor) would all be off the board, with a possibility of Egor Demin (Brigham Young) also being taken already. The top lead initiators at this point in the draft would be Ben Saraf (Ratiopharm Ulm/Israel), Jeremiah Fears (Oklahoma), Kam Jones (Marquette), Jase Richardson (Michigan State), or Nolan Traore (Saint-Quentin/France).

It should be reinforced that there is no way to replace a player with the basketball pedigree that Doncic possessed, and frankly, it will be a long time before the Mavericks are able to overcome Nico Harrison's rash decision. What Dallas should be looking for with its first-round pick is a combo guard that can fill two different spots on the offensive end, therefore allowing this prospect to play with Kyrie either on or off the ball.

With this in mind, a player like Saraf makes a lot of sense as someone that can slot into either guard position. He has the ability to play make in the half court and in transition, and is a capable spot-up three-point shooter (36.4%, 16-for-44), though his off-the-dribble shooting has plenty of room for improvement (16.7% from deep on threes off of the bounce; 7-for-42).

Again, he's not a perfect replacement – there isn't one for the type of talent Dallas just gave away, but he could inspire some hope down the road. Saraf provides some ability to score with the ability to facilitate an offense, which would allow him to play alongside Kyrie Irving. Though his shooting must improve, especially off the bounce, Saraf could be a solid replacement with a higher floor than some of the other prospects in this range.

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