Mikel Brown Jr Wants to Be Drafted by the Dallas Mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks are officially in draft season now that they know their draft slot in the lottery, as they'll be picking 9th. They know the pressure is on to add a talented player, as this is the last year they control their first-round pick until 2031, barring a miracle, and they end up in the top 2 next season.

Their biggest need is in the backcourt. Kyrie Irving is 34 years old and is coming off missing all of this past season due to ACL surgery. By the time he's back on the court in a Mavs uniform, it will have been 18 months since he played in an NBA game. He's not getting any younger, and the only backup on the roster for next season is Ryan Nembhard, whose ceiling is likely as a backup.

The shooting guard could also stand to be upgraded. Max Christie would be best as a backup, and Klay Thompson isn't getting any younger, either. He's entering the last year of his contract at a relatively high salary, so it wouldn't be surprising if the Mavericks try to move him, or if he asks out.

Louisville's Mikel Brown Jr. could be a good fit to help with both of those roles. He has the size, measuring in at 6'3 1/2" and 190.2 pounds, to play either backcourt position, but the NBA loves lead guards with some size. As Irving gets older, Brown could fill that role, and he wants to.

"Definitely a team that I'm interested in, but I would definitely have to talk to my people about it," Brown said this week at the NBA Combine to Noah Weber. "Dallas is a great place to play, I feel like I fit right beside Coop[er Flagg] really well, just ease the pressure off of him, but also you got people I can learn from, like Kyrie [Irving], Jason Kidd, who's an all-time great. Just having those people around me, and it's also a great organization as well."

Mikel Brown Jr. on the potential to play for the Mavericks:

He said they’re “definitely” a team he’s interested in.

Called it a great place to play, feels like he’d fit “really” well with Cooper Flagg as he could “ease the pressure off of him.”

Says he could learn from Kyrie… pic.twitter.com/HUb70lY2tE
— Noah Weber (@noahweber00) May 13, 2026

Medicals Need to Check Out On Mikel Brown Jr.

Mikel Brown Jr. missed a handful of games this season due to a lingering back issue, and someone of his age dealing with that is going to raise a lot of warning flags in front offices. He has said his back is doing better, but teams will need to do their own checks and figure out what's going on.

If the medicals clear out, Brown is arguably the best NBA prospect among this group of guards. He has the size, playmaking, and shooting to be a prototypical guard, even if he has a lot of developing left to do.

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