NBA Mock Draft Jumps Dallas Mavericks Into Position for Duke's Cameron Boozer

The Dallas Mavericks received one of the luckiest NBA Draft lottery bounces ever when they won the first overall pick in the 2025 Draft, which netted them Cooper Flagg. That has saved the franchise from irrelevance, but they have another chance to add another young star this year.

The 2026 NBA Draft looks to be as talented as we've seen in a long time. Dallas has positioned itself to be in the lottery once again, as they have the 7th-worst record with 15 games remaining, and out-losing the New Orleans Pelicans and Utah Jazz is in play.

Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley spun the lottery simulator on Tankathon.com and ran a mock draft, with the Mavs jumping up to the third overall pick and taking Duke star Cameron Boozer.

"If the Mavericks really want to distance themselves from last season's Luka Dončić disaster deal, why not just embrace a full-scale rebrand as the Dallas Blue Devils? After all, the Durham-to-Dallas pipeline has already treated this franchise awfully well, and that's without even seeing what can happen when Cooper Flagg, Kyrie Irving, and Dereck Lively III all share the floor. Adding Boozer to the mix would only up the potency," Buckley wrote.

"Would it feel more comfortable slotting him into an NBA power role if he were a bit bigger and more explosive? Probably. But it's not like his size-skill combo is seen often as it is. He could be a tremendous advantage-creator with his paint-to-perimeter scoring range and willingness to consistently make the right reads."

Mar 14, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) celebrates after a play against the Virginia Cavaliers during the men's ACC Conference Tournament Championship at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Analyzing Cameron Boozer's Potential Fit With Dallas Mavericks

Cameron Boozer, the son of 2-time NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer, is likely to take home the National Player of the Year award, much like Cooper Flagg did a year ago, but his fit in the NBA may not be as smooth. He's not an elite athlete, and a fair amount of his production comes on post-ups and second-chance opportunities. As a 6'9", 250-pound power forward, how realistic is it that he can last at power forward in the NBA?

Boozer's shooting percentages look great at 40.9% from three and 77.5% from the free-throw line, and he's a great playmaker for his size, too. But in a scenario where he were to join the Mavs, he'd be taking away some spacing from Cooper Flagg.

While the percentages show Boozer is a good shooter, most teams would prefer him to shoot from distance. Also, is his rebounding going to translate to the NBA, where there will be a lot of better athletes? His dad's game was perfectly crafted for the 2000s, but it wouldn't last today (not saying Cameron is a carbon copy of Carlos).

Dallas needs a lot more help at guard for the future, but Darryn Peterson is the only guard projected to go in the top 4. When you jump this high, you have to take the best overall player, and it would come down to Boozer or UNC's Caleb Wilson, who just had season-ending surgery on his broken right thumb.

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