Mavs Draft Profile: Could UCF's Taylor Hendricks Be Two-Way Star for Dallas?
It's not often that a team with a superstar-caliber player like Luka Doncic finds itself in the draft lottery, but that's exactly where the Dallas Mavericks ended up following this season. Luckily for Dallas, it landed at No. 10 in the lottery, keeping the pick and avoiding even more of a disaster that would’ve been caused by conveying it to the New York Knicks.
Dallas' needs heading into the offseason are led by re-signing Kyrie Irving and upgrading the team's defense and rebounding. Sitting at No. 10, Dallas can easily look to shop the pick for an immediate, win-now piece, or they can bring in a highly-talented prospect that for the future who can hopefully make an impact in their rookie season.
If they choose to take the latter route, one prospect the Mavericks should keep their eye on is University of Central Florida forward Taylor Hendricks.
In 34 games in his freshman season, Hendricks averaged 15.1 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.7 blocks per game while shooting 39.4 percent from 3-point range on just under five attempts per game.
For Dallas, and really every team in the league, Hendricks would fit like a glove with his versatility on both ends of the floor. On offense, Hendricks is a super athlete who, when he gets to the rim, can jump through the rafters while also proving to have a smooth, reliable jumper from 3-point range. He is still considerably raw as a shot creator and being able to put the ball on the floor, though. As a defender, Hendricks can do it all. With his size and ability to guard multiple positions while also protecting the rim, he's the exact mold that teams look for as a lead defender.
In today's NBA, having a versatile forward like Hendricks can truly be a treasure to raise the ceiling of your roster, especially around the likes of Doncic. Hendricks stands at 6-foot-9 with a 7-foot-2 wingspan and has advanced switch ability on defense with his length and athleticism. He is also a trustworthy shooter from outside.
Adding Hendricks to this current Dallas roster would likely jump the rookie straight into the starting lineup and fill the hole left by Dorian Finney-Smith, who was sent to Brooklyn in the Kyrie Irving trade.
However, with Dallas sitting in the No. 10 slot in the draft, it's very possible that Hendricks is off the board before the Mavericks are on the clock. If he does fall to No. 10, though, with the versatility and ceiling that he holds, Dallas might just have to select Hendricks for themselves and hang up the phone on any incoming trade calls.
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