NBA Draft Preview: Mavs Can Make These 3 Trades to Get Back in First or Second Round
The Dallas Mavericks kicked things off a little early this offseason by agreeing to trade for Houston Rockets big man Christian Wood last week – a deal that happened before the NBA Finals had even concluded. Although the Mavs are sending their only pick (No. 26) to the Rockets, that doesn't necessarily mean the team won't continue to be active on Thursday night when the NBA Draft commences in Brooklyn.
According to The Athletic, the Mavs are looking to trade their way back into the first round or potentially the early-second round if a prospect they want is available in that range.
"Despite moving their first-round pick in the Christian Wood deal, the Mavs are believed to want back into the late first round or early second round, from what I’m told, if it can land them Trevor Keels out of Duke," writes Zach Harper.
"Ismaël Kamagate could also be a guy they trade into the draft for, so they can stash him overseas and bring him into the mix in a year or two."
If Kamagate's name sounds familiar to Mavs fans, it's probably because they've read about how the 6-11 Frenchman worked out with Dirk Nowitzki's legendary trainer, Holger Geschwindner, last year. The 21-year-old has a 7-5 wingspan and averaged 11.3 points and 6.3 rebounds for Paris Basketball in 27 minutes per game. In 34 games, he also averaged 1.6 blocks per contest.
As for Keels, it's easy to see why the Mavs are interested in him if he's in striking range, especially if things go south in their free agency negotiations with Jalen Brunson. At just 18 years old, Keels averaged 11.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.2 steals per game in his freshman year at Duke. Although he only shot 41.9 percent from the field, including 31.2 percent from deep, Keels shot 52.2 percent on two-point shots. The 6-4 guard has a 6-7 wingspan.
Here are three trades where the Mavs could get back in the draft to draft one of their guys:
Mavs-Heat
Mavs receive: Duncan Robinson, No. 27 pick
Heat receive: Tim Hardaway Jr.
Mavs-Pacers
Mavs receive: Buddy Hield, No. 31 pick
Pacers receive: Tim Hardaway Jr., Josh Green
Mavs-Magic
Mavs receive: R.J. Hampton, No. 35 pick
Magic receive: Josh Green, two future second-round picks
Stay tuned to DallasBasketball.com throughout the draft tonight for updates on any moves the Mavs might make. It figures to be a busy night for the league overall, even if Dallas remains quiet.
You can follow Dalton Trigg on Twitter at @dalton_trigg
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