Dallas Mavericks Add Intriguing Freshman in Latest NBA Mock Draft

The Dallas Mavericks hold two first-round picks in the upcoming 2026 NBA Draft, as well as a second-round pick, after the Anthony Davis trade with the Washington Wizards. Their own pick will be in the lottery, as they have the 7th-worst record in the NBA, and they're close to catching the New Orleans Pelicans and Utah Jazz in the tank brigade.

The players projected to be in the 5-8 range are all guards, so players like Darius Acuff Jr. and Mikel Brown have been commonly connected with the Mavs.

Their second pick will likely be the 29th or 30th pick, as it originally belonged to the OKC Thunder. Who the Mavs could take with that selection is a little more of a wild card. ESPN's Jeremy Woo took a stab at it in his latest mock draft, where he had Dallas taking Acuff Jr. with the 7th overall pick, then came back to select Tounde Yessoufou from Baylor.

"Yessoufou scored 14 points in a loss to Arizona State as Baylor's season likely came to a close Tuesday," Woo said of the Baylor freshman.

"Scouts have been intrigued by his physical strength and long-term potential, but have largely come away wanting more from him, holding concerns about his shot selection and inconsistent defensive effort.

"He likes to hunt his own shot and relies more on strength than skill, and it's hard to succeed in the league as a 6-foot-5 power scorer who is only an average shooter (30% from 3).

"Yessoufou also has the tools and motor to be a plus defender in time, but it hasn't all clicked for him yet. This leaves him in an interesting position going into the predraft process, with a case for a second year of college based on the body of work this season."

Mar 7, 2026; Waco, Texas, USA; Baylor Bears guard Tounde Yessoufou (24) dribbles the ball up court against the Utah Utes during the first half at Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images | Chris Jones-Imagn Images

Making the Case For Tounde Yessoufou

Yessoufou, a native of Benin, has averaged 17.8 PPG this season while flashing a lot of defensive upside at 2 steals per game. The three-point shot is still coming around, but the Mavericks need a lot of help defensively at the guard spots. At 6'5", 215 pounds, Yessoufou is stocky but athletic enough to guard both guard positions if he provides more effort.

As of now, the Mavs have to rely on Max Christie to guard a team's best ball-handler if they're smaller; otherwise, players like Cooper Flagg and P.J. Washington can handle those assignments. Having someone like Yessoufou to develop those skills could be an intriguing fit.

Yessoufou has also grown more comfortable with his ability to drive to the basket this year, and the Mavs need more on-ball creation. He's not necessarily a playmaker, but if they address a point guard in the lottery, they wouldn't need to double-dip at the back-end of the first round.

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