Mavs Among Top Trade Teams to Watch During NBA Draft

Luka Doncic's Mavs are among the top teams to watch in the top 10 of the 2023 NBA Draft order as June 22 looms.
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DALLAS — The time leading up to the NBA Draft tends to be riddled with leaks of what a team may plan to do, but also there are smokescreens that are intended to create advantages for a team. Overall, it makes for a significant amount of noise. 

The Dallas Mavericks have continued to be mentioned as a potential trade candidate with the 10th overall pick. With a significant need on defense and rebounding while facing a limited set of trade assets, many are monitoring a potential win-now trade from the Mavs to help reinforce their roster around Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.

The Mavs are far from the only team that many around the league are watching as a trade candidate ahead of the NBA Draft on June 22. 

During an appearance on ESPN's "Get Up" show, NBA insider Brian Windhorst detailed the current trade buzz among teams within the top 10 of the NBA Draft order. He envisions a real possibility in which three or four of the top 10 picks get traded.

“Headed towards the NBA Draft, next week we can see three or four picks in the top 10 get traded," Windhorst said. 

Between the Charlotte HornetsPortland Trail BlazersHouston RocketsDetroit Pistons and Mavs, nearly half of the top-10 teams are involved in trade buzz. If a deal was to transpire that early in the draft, it could shake things up significantly. 

"Watch for Portland at No. 3, looking to add people around Damian Lillard," Windhorst explained. "Houston at No. 4 has indicated they might be interested in moving —Detroit at No. 5 and Dallas at No. 10. And nobody's sure what Charlotte could do at No. 2 with the player they're going to draft so we could have action on draft night.”

It remains to be seen which teams will be picking after the San Antonio Spurs make Victor Wembanyama the top overall selection. However, Brandon Miller and Scoot Henderson are widely expected to be the next prospects to go off the board. 

Depending on how the board plays out leading into the 10th pick being on the clock, there is a chance that intriguing talents will still be available. A few prospects that many experts like for Dallas include Jarace Walker and Taylor Hendricks in the frontcourt, along with Anthony Black in the backcourt. 

Again, no matter how the Mavs go about improving their roster with offseason decisions, significant progress must be achieved after a 38-44 season. Doncic has proven capable of leading a team 


Grant Afseth is a Dallas Mavericks reporter for DallasBasketball.com and an NBA reporter for NBA Analysis Network He previously covered the Indiana Pacers and NBA for CNHI's Kokomo Tribune and various NBA teams for USA TODAY Sports Media Group. Follow him on Twitter (@grantafseth), Facebook (@grantgafseth), and YouTube (@grantafseth).

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Grant Afseth
GRANT AFSETH

Grant Afseth is a Dallas Mavericks reporter for MavericksGameday.com and an NBA reporter for NBA Analysis Network. He previously covered the Indiana Pacers and NBA for CNHI's Kokomo Tribune and various NBA teams for USA TODAY Sports Media Group. Follow him on Twitter (@grantafseth), Facebook (@grantgafseth), and YouTube (@grantafseth). You can reach Grant at grantafseth35@gmail.com.