NBA Draft Preview: 3 Mavs Targets With 26th Pick
The Dallas Mavericks have work to do in the playoffs before moving on to offseason priorities, but they own the 26th pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. The 20s in the draft are generally wildly hit-or-miss, and with the new front office making their first round of draft picks this year, it will be hard to predict what path they take. Dallas had no picks in last year's draft.
Let’s take a quick look at the recent 26th draft picks:
2021: Bones Hyland, Denver Nuggets
2020: Payton Pritchard, Boston Celtics
2019: Dylan Windler, Cleveland Cavaliers
2018: Landry Shamet, Philadelphia 76ers
2017: Caleb Swanigan, Portland Trail Blazers
Today, we’ll be taking a look at three prospects that should have the combination of good upside and safeness. These are three of the potential best fits — one at each position — for Dallas at 26, should they keep the pick:
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Ryan Rollins, 6-4, 180 Combo Guard From Toledo; Sophomore:
Ryan Rollins is a combo guard that missed out on a major spotlight of a potential NCAA Tournament bid. Toledo performed well in the regular season, but could not survive the MAC tournament to rise up to the Big Dance. Rollins has great ball-handling ability as a creator for himself and others, dominates pick-and-rolls offensively, and he can spot up for 3s as well.
There may be a bit of a development curve on his 3-point shooting, but his form and stats suggest that the jumper comes along eventually. The ability to be a creator for himself while also thriving off ball makes him seem like an easy fit next to Luka Doncic, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Jalen Brunson. While this could be the Mavs’ strongest position due to the Dinwiddie acquisition, Rollins plays a unique role that fits with any lineup and all of the other guards.
Rollins’ draft stock is unknown at the moment but should skyrocket up boards once workout season begins. That is when teams host players every day and get a good feel for potential.
You can find my full scouting report of Ryan Rollins here.
Wendell Moore, 6-5, 216 Wing From Duke; Junior:
Wendell Moore is an intriguing player, not only because he is incredibly young for a junior (he turns 21 around training camp), but he is a good production player that is a jack-of-all-trades. When looking at Moore’s scouting report, it reads similarly to Troy Brown Jr. from the 2018 draft, who was also one of the younger players in his class.
Moore possesses a clean jump shot that projects to translate well to the NBA. On top of that, he rebounds well and sees the floor well without turning the ball over much. However, his blow-by speed is lacking, which limits much of the on-ball ability as a creator.
His role on this year’s Duke team brought out the best of him, so it is no coincidence that this was his best collegiate season. What he did at Duke as a primarily off-ball player that could create in limited bursts was nearly a mirror image of what his NBA role would look like. Defensively, Moore is at least average, so he holds his own on that end.
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Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Ismael Kamagate, 6-11, 220 Big From Paris; 21 Years Old:
Who doesn’t love a mobile big that can switch and hold his own on drives, with good athleticism and size plus a growing jump shot? While Kamagate’s physical tools on paper are great, and he does have stats to support upside, there is concern about already being 21 and breaking out. That is a bit older for players to be coming into their own. Whether or not that is fair, that is the outlook on him by NBA teams.
Kamagate is still raw and prone to mistakes, but if he polishes out some things and hits even a halfway-good version of his potential, he is a rotation player in the NBA at his size. His tools and style of play are similar to that of Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton. Kamagate also has hidden ball-handling skills that could be unleashed in the NBA.
If the Mavs want to gamble on raw physical tools, the 26th pick is a good spot in the draft to take a chance on Kamagate. It also helps that he has worked out with Holger Geschwindner, who is Mavs legend Dirk Nowitzki's longtime trainer.
