Dallas Mavericks: Draft Needs and Prospect Watchlist

The Mavericks are currently in one of the most unique spots in modern NBA history. They’re led by Luka Doncic, who is already one of the five best players on the planet at age 24. Additionally, they traded for superstar Kyrie Irving at this trade deadline to beef up for battle with other Western Conference contenders.

However, things haven’t exactly gone to plan. To the surprise of most, Dallas is just 5-11 in games with their two stars. Their offense is very good, but their defense has been the fourth worst in the association since Irving’s debut. Consequently, they’ve fallen out of the play-in picture and are sitting all their guys to lose out these final few games.

Why would a team with Doncic and Irving look to avoid the play-in? To find an answer to this question, we can look back at the Kristaps Porzingis trade of 2019.

In this deal, one of the assets the Mavericks sent to the Knicks in exchange for Porzingis was their 2023 first-round pick. However, this pick was sent with a top-10 protection, meaning that Dallas would retain it if it fell in that range. They’re currently slotted for the tenth pick, which to the chagrin of New York fans, would allow them to keep it. Oklahoma City and Chicago are breathing down their necks for the same spot in lottery odds, so Dallas is losing to prioritize their pick over a potential postseason run.

Is this the correct decision? Well, that’s up for debate. There are clear pros and cons to both sides of this argument. But Mark Cuban and the front office has made their decision. They’re looking ahead to the 2023 NBA Draft, so let’s do so as well.

Projected First-Round Pick (Per Tankathon): 10

Team Needs: All Kinds Of Defense, Play Finishing, Wing Creation, Rebounding, Size

Here are some reasonable prospects Utah fans should keep their eye on as potential targets come June, and how they’d fit in:

Cam Whitmore

Whitmore is almost a perfect offensive piece for Dallas in this draft range. The 6-foot-6 forward has the malleability to shift between play-finishing and creating roles both on the perimeter and interior. He’s a bulky, explosive, slasher who can punish teams above the rim, but also has the smooth handle and shot-making prowess to create on the outside. The Villanova Wildcat would be a great fit next to the Mavericks backcourt on offense, but this would come at the expense of defense. He’s not a bad defender by any means, he’s actually pretty good in certain roles (like as a help defender at the rim). However, Dallas would likely have to look elsewhere for more defense should they select Whitmore, which may be worth it given what he can do on offense.

Donovan Clingan

Next, we pivot all the way around to a defensive-focused prospect. Clingan is the de facto best defensive player in this draft outside of Victor Wembenyana. At 7-foot-2, Clingan is a monstrous rim protector, with the agility to be even more of a force at the next level. En route to winning a national championship, the 19-year-old anchored UConn’s defense to historic levels while on the court:

Opponent shooting with Clingan on the court (difference to when off)

Rim: 43.6% (-10%)
Midrange: 28.7% (-8.3%)
Three: 28.6% (-2.8%)

*stats exclude garbage time.

Just a staggering level of impact to take an already great defense to historically dominant. https://t.co/UDR0Fcps88
— Matt Powers (@DraftPow) April 4, 2023

In addition to providing the most defense Dallas could get in this draft range, Clingan would help to alleviate some of their rebounding and play finishing deficiencies. Some would argue that the top ten is too high to take the Huskies big, but I’d very much disagree with that statement. He’s simply that good and will continue his meteoric rise should he declare.

Taylor Hendricks

Mixing the two prospects mentioned above, Hendricks is more of a blend between offense and defense. Offensively, he can shoot the ball a good bit, or put it on the floor to attack the rim. Defensively, UCF’s 6-foot-9 forward excels in a lot of different facets, but for his help-side shot-blocking most notably. He isn’t the creator that Whitmore is and not the defender that Clingan is, but Hendricks a surefire bet to add value to the Mavericks on both ends of the court.

Other potential targets:

Anthony Black, Arkansas

Cason Wallace, Kentucky

Ausar Thompson, City Reapers (Overtime Elite)

Dereck Lively III, Duke

Jarace Walker, Houston

Want to join the discussion? Like Draft Digest on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest NBA Draft news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.