Recent NBA Draft History Shows Mavericks Can Still Land Great Player With 9th Pick

The Dallas Mavericks fell one spot in the NBA Draft Lottery to the 9th pick, which was a disappointment for the fans, but the new front office remains confident that they can add a worthy player with that pick.

There have been some great players selected with this pick throughout NBA history, but it has also had some rough ones. Here's a look at recent 9th overall picks, as well as some of the greatest.

NBA Draft 9th Overall Pick History

2025: Collin Murray-Boyles

Collin Murray-Boyles was an instant contributor and versatile defender for the Toronto Raptors, who pushed the Cleveland Cavaliers to 7 games in the first round of the playoffs. He averaged 14.4 PPG and 6.4 RPG in that series.

2024: Zach Edey

Zach Edey was always going to be a risky pick because of his size. He's been good when available, but availability has been the biggest issue. He's played just 77 games in two seasons, including being limited to 11 games this year.

2023: Taylor Hendricks

Taylor Hendricks was a draft riser in 2023, but a devastating leg injury that happened against the Mavericks ruined a lot of his momentum. He was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies for Jaren Jackson Jr. this year, but he hasn't developed into the two-way wing many thought he could be.

2022: Jeremy Sochan

Jeremy Sochan was a jumbo wing with defensive versatility, but his offense never developed. Playing him at point guard in his second season seemed to hurt his development more than help, as the jumpshot still looks rough. There's a chance he's out of the league after this season.

2021: Davion Mitchell

Another case of the Sacramento Kings giving up too soon on a player, Mitchell has turned into a good player for the Miami Heat. He's averaged 9.6 PPG and 6.1 APG for them, and his defensive ability will keep him around for a long time.

Apr 28, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija (8) during the second half of game five of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs against the San Antonio Spurs at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

2020: Deni Avdija

Say what you want about him and how he plays, but Deni Avdija is a good player. He was a first-time All-Star this year, averaging 24.2 PPG. Many thought the 9th pick was lower than he should've gone in 2020, with many thinking he'd go 4th to the Chicago Bulls. Instead, he fell to the Wizards, who shipped him to the Portland Trail Blazers.

2019: Rui Hachimura

We're on a run of just good players, but that will end soon. Rui Hachimura has been a consistent 11-13 PPG since entering the NBA.

2018: Kevin Knox II

Kevin Knox lasted 7 years in the NBA, but it was mostly as an end-of-the-bench reserve. He only had three seasons where he played more than 45 games.

2017: Dennis Smith Jr.

A player Mavericks fans are very accustomed to, Dennis Smith Jr. looked like a future star in his rookie season, averaging 15.2 PPG and finishing 5th in Rookie of the Year voting. However, the Mavs drafted Luka Doncic the next year, taking the ball out of his hands, and he was traded to the New York Knicks as part of the Kristaps Porzingis trade. He was never the same after that.

2016: Jakob Poeltl

Kajob Poeltl has been a serviceable big throughout his entire career, even if he's on arguably the worst contract in the NBA right now.

2015: Frank Kaminsky

These next few picks will be rough, but then we'll get to a hot stretch of 9th overall picks. Frank Kaminsky had an underwhelming NBA career, but still played 413 games across 8 seasons, averaging double-digit scoring in three of them.

2014: Noah Vonleh

Noah Vonleh was always going to be a project, and he never really did pan out. Does anyone else remember his weirdly solid season with the New York Knicks, though?

2013: Trey Burke

Another former Maverick on the list, but he came via that same Kristaps Porzingis trade. The top 10 of the 2013 Draft is a rough one to look at.

2012: Andre Drummond

This next stretch of players is what should give Mavs fans some hope. Drummond has had an impressive career, leading the league in rebounding four times, and he was selected to the All-Star Game twice.

Dec 17, 2022; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Kemba Walker (34) reacts after a foul call during the second half against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Josefczyk-Imagn Images | Aaron Josefczyk-Imagn Images

2011: Kemba Walker

Kemba Walker was a 4-time All-Star in his 12 seasons, and even spent 9 games with the Mavs at the end of his career.

2010: Gordon Hayward

The hits keep coming. Gordon Hayward only made one All-Star Game, but it's hard not to think about what his career could've been had he not been injured in his first game as a Celtic.

2009: DeMar DeRozan

Opinions are split on how valuable DeMar DeRozan actually has been throughout his career, but he's 18th in NBA history in scoring, a 6-time All-Star, 3-time All-NBA selection, and will go into the Hall of Fame one day.

2008: DJ Augustin

DJ Augustin was a serviceable point guard throughout his 14 years in the NBA, even if he didn't have many standout moments.

2007: Joakim Noah

The last one we'll go over chronologically is another big one, as Joakim Noah was a 2-time All-Star, Defensive Player of the Year, a three-time All-Defensive Selection, and was 4th in MVP voting in 2014.

Other Notable 9th Overall Picks

There are plenty of other notable 9th overall picks in NBA history. The biggest is Dirk Nowitzki (1998), who is one of the 20 greatest players in NBA history and the greatest Maverick ever. Andre Iguodala (2004), Amar'e Stoudemire (2002), Shawn Marion (1999), Tracy McGrady (1997), and Rolando Blackman (1981) are some of the other big names to be selected 9th.

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