NBA Draft Donuts: Bold Mavs Predictions
Our bold predictions for the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Draft and beyond, via 'The 75-Member Staff ... in Mavs Donuts
DONUT 1: Expectations Expect the unexpected for the first-ever virtual NBA Draft. Without any tournaments, combines and workouts.... The 2020 NBA draft's unpredictability is high due to the lack of scouting because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
There will be limited on-site participation from select prospects and league personnel at the draft, which starts on Nov. 18, at 6 p.m. CT (ESPN).
DONUT 2: The Starting Point The Dallas Mavericks hold the 18th and 31st overall picks. The Mavs are in win-now mode ... Meaning the options are endless and the roster could be looking a lot different in a week. Could the Mavs trade up into the lottery? How far up the draft board would Dallas climb? Will Dallas find themselves in a trade for more immediate help?
Check out our Mavs NBA Rumor Tracker, for the latest.
DONUT 3: The 'Easy Answer' The name of the game is "Find The Third Star" to go alongside and compliment Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis.
[Read: How Much Of New NBA Season Will Mavs' Porzingis Miss?]
DONUT 4: Quotable Mavericks general manager Donnie Nelson said it best on our Mavs Step Back Podcast for an exclusive interview, "We absolutely 100% want to get there, but we don't want to do it at the expense of doing something stupid. We've got some really good, young, developing players. We're not just going to throw those guys or our draft picks aside and say goodbye to our future for a warhorse who only has one year left in the tank."
DONUT 5: The Bold and the Beautiful With free agency beginning on Friday, in what is sure to be an entertaining week... Here is one bold prediction from each of our writers at Dallasbasketball.com.
DONUT 6: A 'Win-Now' Trade at 18 - Mike Fisher The Mavs occasionally get criticized for "not using the draft.'' But "using'' it doesn't have to mean "drafting an 18-year-old who is three years away from helping the franchise.''
It's a great "use'' of the pick at No. 18 to flip it into a trade that brings a top-of-the-rotation vet here. Oladipo? LaVine? Galinari?
GM Donnie Nelson tells DBcom he doesn't want to acquire "old warhorses.'' That's a wise view from one end of the spectrum. From the other end, Dallas doesn't need "youth.'' Dallas needs talent.
DONUT 7: Oladipo Splash - Dalton Trigg I’ve thought about this a lot, and as much as I want to say some other names we’ve talked about recently, like Zach LaVine, my draft night bold prediction for the Mavs is that they’ll trade for Pacers’ shooting guard Victor Oladipo.
I think this is probably the Mavs’ best opportunity to make a big splash, given their lack of assets. They do have some good assets, just probably not good enough to land a player with less baggage. Yes, Oladipo has a reputation for being ‘moody’ sometimes, something that was true of another shooting guard who played for the Mavs once upon a time — Monta Ellis. Oladipo also has injury concerns and is on an expiring contract. So all that being considered, I believe the Mavs could get him without surrendering too much in a trade package.
It’d be a low-risk, potential high-reward move for Dallas.
DONUT 7: Three-and-D, for the win! - Bri Amaranthus I think the expected drama will fall short. My prediction is that Mavs will NOT trade away the 18th selection, instead, they will draft a solid young player that could help Dallas’ 18th-ranked defense. Adding youth to grow with Doncic and Porzingis could prove to be extremely beneficial for years to come. A huge win would be Villanova's Saddiq Bey... If he is still on the board.
DONUT 8: Patience is a Virtue - Matthew Postins The players the Mavs select on Wednesday won't be on their roster come January.
I think the Mavs are planning to find a third option on either the free agency or trade market to run alongside Doncic and Porzingis. Our DallasBasketball.com staff has explored plenty of them. If that's the case, then both of those picks are in play. Now, one caveat — the Mavs can't trade the first-rounder before the draft. They're barred from doing that because their 2021 pick is promised to the Knicks. But after the draft, I'd have to assume it's fair game.
By January, the Mavs will have taken those pieces and turned them into something.
DONUT 9: A Star Trade - Matt Galatzan My bold prediction is that the Mavs will trade not one but both of their picks on Wednesday. The team has previously stated that they are in win now mode, and reports suggest that they would be willing to take on salary to get a star.
Put those pieces together, plus what we have heard this week in terms of names they are connected to, and I think you’ll see the Mavs be very active on draft nght.
Will that result in a guy like Bradley Beal? Not likely, but there are guys out there for the taking who are definitely attainable should the Mavs choose to go in that direction.
DONUT 10: A Low Bar In terms of Mavs NBA Draft history, the bar is tremendously low.
READ MORE: Donuts: Mavs' 12 Best NBA Draft Picks
Not asking for a Luka or a Dirk. But I'm demanding something better than a Samaki or an Anstey.
DONUT 11: A Draft Trade Up - Richard Stayman Mavs-related prediction: Mavs trade up to take the faller, who I'll guess is Obi Toppin. NBA Draft prediction: Kings trade into the top 3.
DONUT 12: The Final Word ""No one wants a parade in Dallas like our owner (Mark Cuban), head coach (Rick Carlisle), the guys in the locker room, and yours truly. We absolutely 100% want to get there, but we don't want to do it at the expense of doing something stupid. We've got some really good, young, developing players. We're not just going to throw those guys or our draft picks aside and say goodbye to our future for a warhorse who only has one year left in the tank." - Mavs GM Donnie Nelson to DallasBasketball.com.
