Mavs Draft Prospect Works Out With Dirk’s Mentor
It’s no secret that the Dallas Mavericks, despite having their best season in a decade, need some big man help heading into next season.
Dwight Powell has exceeded all expectations as the Mavs starting center this year. Powell has recovered remarkably from the Achilles injury he suffered in 2020 and probably has the best chemistry on the team with superstar Luka Doncic.
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Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
That said, the Mavs need need an upgrade inside in order to raise their ceiling and to lessen Powell’s load. Given that Dallas owns its pick in the draft this year, could the 6-11 French prospect Ismael Kamagate be a viable option?
More than likely, the Mavs would rather make a big splash by trading for a different French big man — Utah Jazz star Rudy Gobert — if at all possible. But, if that or any other big-time trade is not in the cards, then Mavs general manager Nico Harrison will need to focus on utilizing his first ever draft pick with Dallas.
Kamagate, who is 21 years old and has a 7-5 wingspan, is averaging 11.7 points and six rebounds for Paris Basketball in 26 minutes per game. In 26 games so far, he’s also averaging 1.5 blocks per contest.
The most intriguing thing about Kamagate for Dallas fans, though, might be the fact that he has a tie to Mavs legend and current front office special advisor Dirk Nowitzki.
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Kamagate has been working out with Holger Geschwindner, Nowitzki's long-time personal coach.
“I had a very busy summer with very little time off because, in addition to training with the French National Team for the Olympics, I also played for the French U20 Team, too,” Kamagate said in an interview.
“When that was over though, I went to Germany to work on my game with Holger Geschwindner. It was a great experience working with Holger, who I had met last year through my agent [Bouna Ndiaye], who is based in Dallas. In addition to working on my shot and basketball skills, we also worked a lot on my footwork.”
There will surely be a large number of prospects tied to the Mavs on draft night (June 23), but given the team’s roster needs, Dallas could end up taking a chance on Kamagate due to his physical tools and upside. But the opinions of Nowitzki and Geschwindner could also end up playing a factor, as well.
